Empty Nests
by feebee17
Summary: One woman longs to start a family, another yearns for a child gone missing. Two husbands stand helpless. Will a case hit too close to home as Millie and Max discover that starting a family is not so easy? A sequel to Together Alone - Mallie.
1. Max's Birthday

In case you're wondering, I don't own The Bill.

This story is for my fellow Mallie-Mummy, MissLala.

**Max's Birthday**

DS Max Carter drove home one late winter's evening after a long and frustrating day at Sun Hill. They had come so close that day to resolving a case that had hung over them for several weeks only to have the charges dismissed due to insufficient evidence. And everybody knew the guy was guilty! But despite this Max found himself humming happily as he endured the horrors of London peak hour traffic. Today was his birthday and soon he would be at home with his wife, Millie Brown. He was eagerly anticipating his return home tonight because he was sure she would have a birthday treat in store for him, and he was hoping it would in some way involve lingerie. Few people chose lingerie as well as Millie, or looked as good in it, Max reflected. He felt his hopes were well founded because not only had celebrating with new lingerie become their tradition but he had recently spied some bags from Millie's favourite lingerie boutique secreted in her wardrobe. It wasn't long before the humming evolved into whistling.

There was another reason for Max's confidence that he would get lucky that night, and that was because they had chosen his birthday as the official start of trying to get pregnant. They had been married nearly a month now, and although it was a bit sooner than they had originally planned, the fact that Millie's peak fertile period coincided with Max's birthday was too much of a positive omen for them to ignore. Anyway, Millie had fulfilled the required pre-pregnancy supplement intake and Max himself had endured many a winter's day in draughty boxer shorts to ensure the pieces of him involved in this process were kept at the correct temperature. And now they had gone two days without sex (easy enough to do due to circumstances, but torture when enforced!) because Millie had read that this was the way to ensure that sperm would be at its most motile and of the highest quality. Max blocked his ears to the science of it, but was certainly enthusiastic about participating in any experiments!

At home, Millie was dressing herself in the lingerie she had bought especially for this most special of nights. The last lingerie she had bought had been white in honour of their nuptials, and she had considered continuing with the purity theme for this occasion, as tonight held to her a significance that was almost sacred. However, as great as their first sex as man and wife had been, there was no doubt that Max didn't appreciate white, virginal under-garments as much as anything black or strongly coloured and a bit slutty. So, for tonight she had purchased a fitted camisole and matching French knickers in a tightly woven black net. The fabric was smooth and completely diaphanous apart from the seaming. She decided against stockings. She checked herself in the mirror, then went to her wardrobe and grabbed a very sensible grey woolen tunic, leggings and a jacket. She laid everything out on the bed so that when Max walked through the door she would be able to execute the little tease she had in store for him perfectly.

A still whistling Max pulled into the garage, locked his car and walked up the steps into the side door of their house. There was no sign of his wife in the kitchen, though he did notice a large tin containing what could only be his birthday cake. He realised the room was a bit cold and then noticed Millie hadn't lit a fire. This was perplexing, as they had planned on spending the night, and most of the day tomorrow (which they both had off) indoors.

He climbed the stairs to the master bedroom and swung open the door. Millie took the sound of his feet on the stairs as her cue, so that just as Max entered the door, she had her back to him and her leggings half way on, at knee level. This meant that what Max saw was her bent form and a full view of her bottom clad in the completely see-through black fabric of her knickers. Max caught his breath at his vision, only to be completely disappointed a second later when her shapely and beckoning behind was covered by a pair of boring, utilitarian black leggings. Once the leggings were on, Millie grabbed her button up tunic and slid it on her arms and then turned around with it undone to give him a glimpse of the front view of her camisole before she started to do up each of the buttons, beginning at the garment's hem and completing the process almost at her neck.

Max gapped at her, "Wow! Nice choice! But what the hell are you doing covering up? It's my birthday and I was promised sex!"

After grabbing a pair of knee high boots and zipping them up, Millie walked over the Max and rested a hand on each of his shoulders. Max determinedly put his arms around her middle, hoisted up her skirt and tried to slide his hands into the back of her leggings with a view to removing them. Millie wiggled her hips against his in an attempt to dislodge his hands from this position, but her movement only served to arouse him further. But Millie was strong and after a couple of very pleasant grinding movements against the front of Max's trousers, she resolutely removed his hands and pulled away from him.

"Don't worry lover, all this and more will be yours tonight! But in the meantime, your mother called and is expecting us there in 30 minutes for a birthday dinner. Sorry, but I didn't know how I could get out of it."

The happy, humming and whistling Max suddenly wanted to metamorphose into a toddler and throw himself face down on the bed and pummel it with his fists and feet while howling. Damn his mother!

He made one final attempt to get out of the dinner. "I know, we'll tell her that we are planning on making her a grandchild tonight. That will make her happy…"

"...apart from the fact she doesn't know we're married," retorted Millie. "She would forgive an accidental child out of wedlock, but not a deliberate one!"

Max and Millie had decided to keep their marriage a secret, so no one but their witnesses, Will and Faith and their superiors at Sun Hill knew about their altered status. Millie's family were easy going, and Millie and Max both took a perverse pleasure in the fantasy of telling Mrs. Carter they were pregnant, watching her flail and weep over the thought of having a bastard grandchild, before they calmly told her they were actually already married.

Max resentfully resigned himself to the inevitability of a visit to his family. But before he let Millie know this, he decided to give her a taste of what she was forgoing in the hope that she appreciate the suffering this was causing him. He threw his wife backwards onto their bed, and then held her in position by pinning her arms down over the top of her head with his own. He placed his legs between her own so that she could use neither arms nor legs to displace him. Then he put his lips to work on her neck, mouth, ears, and flicked his tongue inside the scoop-necked collar of her tunic so that it teasingly caressed the soft skin of her breasts. He did this until he felt her resistance against him weaken and her breathing start to slow, then he released her.

Millie hoisted herself up onto her elbows and pantingly looked up at him.

"I guess that was only fair," she said sulkily. "But now we really should get going."

Max moved forward to kiss her, then held out a hand to help her up.

"Come on then," he said. "And we have to remember not to eat so much that we're too queasy for vigorous fucking. Is that a deal?"

"Hey, your capacity to eat Polish food is far greater than mine, so I think you're the more likely candidate for indigestion!" said Millie, slightly miffed at Max's implying that she could be a bit of a pig.

"Point taken," agreed Max. "Now brush that hair, you red-headed harlot! You could at least try and look respectable for my mother."

Millie's hair certainly needed to be tamed after their little wrestle on the bed. She brushed it while she glowered at him. Impulsively, she reached out and gave the front of Max's trousers a bit of a squeeze.

"I dare say my hair looks a bit more respectable than that!" she said defiantly.

"Oh don't worry, another word spoken about my mother and it will be gone. Provided you don't provoke me again, that is," replied Max, standing in such a way to make it clear that he was keen for further provocation.

Millie snatched her hand away. "I promise, I'll be a good girl now," she sighed, "but we really better go. The sooner we're there…"

"…the sooner we can come back here and make babies," said Max. "And even if we don't succeed at that the first time, we can have fun practising!"

Millie gave her husband a smile. She had such a good feeling about tonight. They had prepared everything perfectly. She was sure it would be a success.

**Max's Birthday Celebrations**

Mrs. Carter was regaling the family who had gathered around her dinner table that night with the story of Max's birth. Millie sat beside her, so Mrs. Carter was directing her anecdotes mainly Millie's way, which she underlined by frequently reaching over and touching Millie's hand. Max was seated on the other side of Mrs. Carter opposite Millie, and had taken off his shoe so that every so often his socked foot reached under the table and attempted to make its way up Millie's skirt. This made it difficult at times for Millie to keep a straight face as Mrs. Carter talked. She looked over at her husband and gave him an admonishing look, at the same time marvelling to herself that apparently there was not a part of his body that he couldn't use to give her pleasure.

"… of course, he was such a big baby," continued Mrs. Carter. "But you forget the pain once your baby is laid in your arms for the first time. Ah, but now, it's been so many years since we've had a baby in the family." Mrs. Carter sighed and looked off into space. Everyone knew at whom her comment was directed.

"Time for cake!" said one of Max's sisters brightly, having found the perfect way to deflect the conversation away from this contentious topic.

"Yes indeed," agreed Mrs. Carter. "Millie, seeing you're the cook, do you want to get the cake ready?"

"OK," said Millie. Then she turned to Max's nephews and nieces. "Anyone want to come and help me with the candles?"

"Yay!" said those of the children who were still young enough not to find the whole idea of feting their ancient uncle embarrassing. They followed Millie and Mrs. Carter into the kitchen.

A few minutes later the lights were dimmed and Millie returned proudly bearing her thickly butter-iced lemon poppy seed cake (Max's favourite) with rather too many candles blazing and placed it before Max. She and everyone else sang an enthusiastic rendition of Happy Birthday as wax began to dot the icing. Max wasn't quite pleased that she had given him as many candles as he had years and not just because he had concerns about creating a fire hazard!

"So, who wants to help me blow the candles out?" Max asked once the singing had finished. He pulled his youngest nephew and niece onto his knees and their joint effort extinguished all the candles in one go. Everyone cheered. Millie whisked away the cake and removed the wax from the icing and served the cake. The kids moaned it wasn't chocolate, but all the adults agreed Millie was a first rate cake baker. Max was clearly chuffed at the effort Millie had gone to to make the first time they celebrated his birthday together extra special.

Soon after the cake was eaten, it was time for everybody to leave. As Mrs. Carter farewelled Max and Millie, she said significantly, "May this year be a special one, Son. Who knows, maybe there will be some sort of celebration?"

"Maybe there will," replied Max, returning his mother's kiss. His words gave Mrs. Carter hope and she smiled as she watched her son walk out to the car with the woman her loved. They were a handsome couple she thought, and would surely give her handsome grandchildren.

Max and Millie drove the short distance home.

"Right," said Max. "It's quarter to nine. That leaves me roughly three more hours of birthday, and I plan on spending most of that time horizontal. OK?"

Millie made a face, "Well if you only want to do it in one or two positions, that's fine. I just had a few vertical ones in mind but…"

"I see what you mean," agreed Max, putting his mind to the task of visualising the various choices they had. "Well you are the one in charge of tonight's entertainment, so I'll leave it to you."

Max drove into the garage and turned the car off. He and Millie entered their house and turned on a few lights. There was very little for them to do before they made their way up to the bedroom. Max sat on the bed and waited.

"Well then," said Millie, sitting on the edge of the bed and seductively swinging her feet. "Should I start unwrapping your present for you?" She placed her hand on the zipper of the boot and waited for his word.

"Mmm, yes please," Max said, settling himself back against a pile of pillows.

Millie unzipped one of her boots slowly, and then the other. She shook them both off onto the ground. She stood up and carefully undid her tunic, one button at a time. She decided she would perform this strip tease to the tune of 'Happy Birthday' which she started to sing.

Millie turned her back to Max and looked over her shoulder at him as she shimmied her tunic off. She peeled off the leggings and stood before him dressed only in her transparent black camisole and knickers. She made her way over to the bed and let Max admire the feel and look of her attire, while she commenced removing his shirt, pants and underwear. Max slipped a strap off her shoulder and started to kiss the newly exposed area. Millie threw her head back so he could move his mouth wherever he wanted.

He paused for a moment and Millie put her lips to his. "Happy Birthday, husband," she whispered to him between kisses. And together they made sure that it was Max's best birthday ever…


	2. Six Months Later

**(Almost) Millie's Birthday**

Max stood helplessly in the department store, dazzled by the gleaming glass and shining metal counters and wondering where the hell to start. A few impeccably dressed shop assistants lurked around him, threatening to come and help him. Should he use their expertise, he wondered? But honestly, he wouldn't know what to say to them. He just wished he were as good at choosing gifts as Millie was. He looked lovingly at the new watch on his wrist. His mind went back to the night of his birthday, and how they had fallen back against their pillows, both exhausted and blissfully happy after their first official attempt at impregnation. Millie had then pulled this package out from under the bed and handed it to him. He hadn't expected anything more from her than the cake, lingerie and sex, all of which he had already gratefully received. He unwrapped the present and was surprised to see it contained a watch. If she had asked him if he needed a watch he would have said no, as he was rather fond of the old watch. But the minute he laid eyes on the watch she had brought him, it instantly became his favourite possession.

Max felt himself jerked back into the real world by the overly-correct tones of one middle-aged shop assistant, who now stood beside him. She smiled at him with sparkling white teeth and minted breath.

"Can I help you Sir?" she asked ingratiatingly.

Max stopped to consider what he could say. The question he needed answered was of course, "What do you get your wife for her birthday when all she wants in the world is for you to knock her up?", but he doubted the shop assistant was really as concerned about their plight as she appeared. Instead he uttered a simpler version of that question. "I'm looking for a present for my wife's birthday."

She beamed at him and gave his arm a conspiratorial squeeze. "Lovely! A surprise gift. What did you have in mind? Jewellery? Shoes? Cosmetics? Maybe some perfume? Do you know what she likes?"

Max was not a fan of perfumes, though he liked the one that Millie wore (if you asked him why, he would have said it was because it smelt like Millie). But he had no idea what it was called. "There's one she particularly likes, but I can't remember the name…" he faltered.

The shop assistant took him by the elbow. Max felt her guiding him over to an area full of glistening bottles and posters of smiling celebrities. The panic rose as he realised she was inviting him to work his way through the various smells until he recognised Millie's favourite. He moved his arm away.

"I think she'd prefer jewellery, actually," he said, becoming annoyed at himself for caring what this woman thought. Then again, he imagined she could probably turn ferocious.

The woman gave an acquiescing nod, and once again guiding him by his elbow, pushed him in the opposite direction towards the jewellery section. Max looked at the showcase full of modern, streamlined jewels in dismay. Then a thought dawned on him. Didn't he have an uncle who was a jeweller?

He started to back away towards the doors, addressing the shop assistant as he went. "Thanks for your help. I've had an inspiration!" He turned and fled before she could corral him again and drag him to a different counter.

Once safely outside, he rang his mother to double check the address of his uncle's shop. He immediately he wished he hadn't. Mrs. Carter became very excited that Max wanted to buy Millie jewellery. Was a wedding on the cards, she asked?

"Bye Ma, I think the phone's cutting out..." Max said as he took the coward's way and hung up on her. Even so, it was obvious when Max reached the shop that his mother had given her brother a call to tell him Max was on the way, as his uncle had a tray of rings on the counter when he arrived. Max explained he'd given Millie a ring for the Christmas, so he was looking for something else. As Millie's Christmas ring was a family heirloom, Max's uncle was familiar enough with it to select something that would compliment it, in this case a bracelet. Max laid down the cash, promised to bring Millie to visit his uncle soon, and fled from the shop before any more questions were asked.

Max arrived home before Millie finished work. He made himself a coffee, then sat on the couch and examined his purchase. He held the bracelet on the tips of his fingers and turned it around on his hand to look at it closely. Would she like it? Max knew the old Millie would. But what about the new Millie, the increasingly unhappy one whose plans for motherhood seemed to be being thwarted at every turn? Six months of trying had past. Every month the bin seemed full of discarded tests, flung there by Millie in her despair. The first few months she had taken test after test, hoping that the next one would be the one to give her the result she craved. She never believed their results until the proof of their 'failure' was made evident by her starting to bleed. This month, she had vowed, there would be no testing until her period was at least a week late.

Max continued to stare at the bracelet. He knew it was a vain hope it would cheer her up. Here it was her birthday in a week's time and in three days her period was due. She had so hoped to be on her way to motherhood by this birthday. And it seemed to be affecting her moods. Max was finding he was having to bite his tongue more and more often these days, as things she would have once laughed at now just made her pensive, or worse still, brought tears to her eyes. Even more frightening for him, he was beginning to feel awkward about initiating sex. He was afraid it was becoming a means to an end rather than the loving and ecstatic union it had always been to them before. Max sighed and put the bracelet back into its box and snapped it shut. He had never imagined he could feel so helpless.

Millie was at Sun Hill and it was nearing the end of her shift. She had been largely office bound that day, and had spent a lot of time in the toilet, ensuring that her period hadn't come. No sign of it yet. There was still reason to hope that perhaps this month…Millie shut her eyes and made a little prayer - please God, this month! What a perfect birthday present that would be! In her heart of hearts, however, she was sure she was no more pregnant this month than she had been for the last six months. The glaring evidence of this was her premenstrual tension. This really was one of nature's cruelest jokes, Millie thought. As if worrying about getting pregnant wasn't enough, the high-point of the fear had to coincide with the time of the month when things like a squeaking door could set your teeth on edge, and every minor frustration could bring on tears.

At last it was time for her to go home. After going to the toilet one final time (still nothing) she went out to her car and drove home to her long suffering husband. Poor Max. She knew she was taking it out on him. It was so hard not to when no one she could confide in knew they were married and that they were trying for a baby. She sighed deeply. Maybe she should stop of and buy some wine and then seduce Max? She was ninety percent sure she wasn't pregnant, so why not make the most of it? They could probably benefit from some non-reproductive shagging! She stopped off and bought some wine. She could decide later if she were brave enough to drink it.

When she got home Max had a candlelit dinner on the table. Millie's eyes misted over. He was so good to her. He was behind the counter organising a few finishing touches to the meal, so she walked behind it and threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss. Max was surprised, but obviously pleased. He was even more pleased when Millie looked at him again and then proceeded to give him a second, slower, deeper kiss. As the kissing continued they both forgot about the meal Max had so lovingly prepared. Max started to think to himself that maybe he'd been worrying over nothing, and things weren't as bad as he thought...

**In the Park**

The next day a morose Millie and a concerned Roger were patrolling the high street on foot. That morning her period had arrived; two days early too, to add insult to injury. Motherhood had eluded her for another month. Roger could see Millie was slightly preoccupied and was doing his best to divert her.

"So, I guess this seem a bit boring for you and Max after the excitement of your last couple of years! No being kidnapped, no getting shot, or watching people die…"

"Yeah well, it's a bit more exciting than being on light duties because of the shooting! I'm so glad to get out of the station," responded Millie.

"So, how is the shoulder?" asked Roger. "You seem to be able to use it, no problem."

"It's nearly as good as new, but I'm still doing rehab for it."

"That's great! So, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't your birthday next week?"

"You have such a good memory Rodge!"

"I never forget a friend's birthday," Roger winked at her. " Any plans? I bet Max has something big in store for you."

Millie smirked. Roger raised his eye brows, "Hey, this is me talking, not Nate or Leon. I wasn't being crude!"

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of screaming.

"I think that came from the park?" said Millie, breaking into a run. She and Roger both headed in that direction.

They soon arrived at a playground where the woman from whom the scream had obviously come was being comforted by a number of other people. On seeing the police officers, she pushed through the well-wishers towards them.

"My daughter!" she wailed clutching at Roger. "My daughter's gone!"

Millie radioed in while Roger dealt with the woman.

"Calm down Madam," said Roger, yelling over her cries and the screams and noise of the remaining children in the playground. "Tell us exactly what happened."

The woman looked at him. "Calm down?" she yelled at him. "What do you need to know? My daughter was here with me, now she's gone. Why aren't you looking for her instead of telling me to calm down? Do you have children?"

"No…"

"Well let me tell you if you did and some idiot told you to calm down, you'd be pretty bloody annoyed too!"

Roger looked to Millie, who took this as his way of indicating perhaps this needed a woman's touch. Millie put her arm around the woman's shoulder.

"Madam," she said calmly. "I've radioed in that your child has gone and more officers are on their way. We just need to get an idea of exactly what's happened, OK? Now, what is your daughter's name?"

"Emily," said the woman automatically. She had not even turned yet to look at Millie.

"Good, and how old is Emily?"

"She's three, well nearly three. Her birthday is in two weeks time," the tears welled up again in the woman's eyes.

"What does Emily look like?"

"She has long dark brown hair, it's in two pig tails, blue eyes and she's wearing a red coat with a yellow flower on the pocket."

"OK, that's good. You're going very well, now bear with me. What's your name?"

"Bernadette, Bernadette Ward." The woman looked up at the sound of police sirens and watched as several officers rushed around the playground.

"Right, Bernadette, can you talk me through what happened?"

"Emily was on the swing. I went to the bin over there to throw something out. My friend Amy said something to me, and… I looked up and she was gone. My husband is looking for her, and I said I'd wait here..."

Bernadette threw her head forward and wept and Millie put her arms around her. Bernadette's initial reaction was to be indignant at Millie's presumption, and she turned angrily to face her. As she looked into Millie's eyes, her anger melted. Her eyes searched Millie's intently, and saw in them real pain. She had wanted to lash out and scream, "How dare you pretend to care? This is just a job to you!" but looking into Millie's eyes, she ceased to believe it. She found herself burying her face into Millie's shoulder and sobbing anew.

Millie tried vainly to think of what to say. She couldn't utter the useless glib phrases like "she'll be OK" because she felt this woman needed more than an empty promise. Instead she decided to put her effort into calming Bernadette down.

"Well, she hasn't been gone long, and there are police combing the whole area. She couldn't have got too far. If she's hurt herself or something, someone will find her, or hear her call out. Does she know her address?"

Bernadette raised her head and blinked through her tears to look at Millie. "Sorry," she said, "I didn't tell you did I? Emily has ASD, she's autistic. She doesn't speak much, and she doesn't always respond to her name."

Millie patted Bernadette's shoulder and tried to smile reassuringly. The situation had suddenly become a lot more complicated than she initially thought.


	3. The Case

**The Search**

Millie continued to hold Bernadette and somehow she wanted to cry too. She was imagining having a child, and then losing them. The thought of it almost made her sick with grief. She couldn't begin to fathom how poor Bernadette must feel.

Looking over Bernadette's shoulder, she could see that CID had been called in, as Max and Stevie were walking towards her. Max looked at her, and she saw the concern in his face. Part of her just wanted to run into his arms and let him hold her until she could almost believe that things like this just didn't happen. However, Bernadette needed her and her needs were currently Millie's main concern.

All Max wanted to do was hug Millie and make sure she was OK. He could see the look in her eyes, and her tears. But this was work and he was determined to act professionally.

"PC Brown," he said softly over Bernadette's head. "What's the situation?"

"This is Bernadette Ward. Her three year old daughter Emily has disappeared from the swings. We've taken her description and officers are currently searching the park."

"Thanks," said Max, with a smile that was slight but spoke volumes to Millie. "You'd better go help with the search now. DS Moss and I will handle it from here."

Millie gave Bernadette a final squeeze and peeled her arms from around her. The two women regarded each other and Millie gave her a final reassuring smile. Bernadette looked back at her gratefully, and then turned her attention to Max and Stevie. Stevie took up Millie's post as emotional support by placing her hand on Bernadette's arm. For a moment Bernadette looked like she was going to shake the hand off but relented, thinking that even though Stevie's attentions were probably not as heartfelt as the ginger-haired officer's, she wasn't meaning to do any harm.

As Stevie took care of Bernadette, Max took Millie aside.

"You OK?" he said putting a hand on her arm.

"Yeah, I am. By the way, Bernadette has just said the little girl is autistic and can't speak or respond very well. So simply calling her probably won't do any good."

"I'll pass that on," Max wanted to kiss her, but thought better of it. "You take care and we'll touch base later. Maybe we can managed to eat last night's dinner tonight?"

They looked at each other, both remembering what had prevented them from eating their dinner. But that pleasant memory was soon overpowered by Millie's memory that she had failed to get pregnant again, and she turned away from Max before she started to cry.

Max looked worried as he watched her walk away, just as Roger came walking back from the search.

The two men nodded at each other. "Any luck?" asked Max, taking care to talk quietly so as not to alarm Bernadette.

"None Sarge," responded Roger. "Not a trace. See that guy coming up the hill?" he continued motioning in that direction, "That's Emily's father. A strange man. Quite detached."

"You think he's involved in his daughter's disappearance?" asked Max sizing the man up as he approached Bernadette and Stevie.

"I wouldn't go that far. Let's just say his reactions surprised me."

"Thanks Rodge, I'll bear this in mind." Max slapped Roger's arm in a parting gesture and walked over to the group.

"DS Max Carter," he said holding up his warrant card.

"Peter Ward, and this is my wife, Bernadette." Peter reached to shake Max's hand, but Bernadette merely nodded. Max observed Peter's manner carefully and could see what Roger meant. His feelings about his daugher's disappearance were very hard to gauge.

"OK, Mr. Ward, your wife has already gone through what's happened with one of my colleagues. If you wouldn't mind filling me in."

"We came to the park and Emily wanted a swing so my wife took her there. Then Bern went away for a moment and when she returned, Emily wasn't there any more. We had a quick look around and couldn't find her, so we decided I would go and search further while Bern stayed put in case she returned. A couple of other parents helped me look, but we couldn't find any sign of her."

Max continued, "Mr. Ward, you just said you all came to the park, correct?" Peter nodded. "What were you doing when your daughter was on the swing? Were you watching?"

Peter shook his head. "No, I was reading my paper."

"Where were you doing that, sir?"

"Over there," Peter pointed to a bench seat to the side of the children's playground. It was not five metres from the swings.

"I have to say, Mr. Ward, the seat's not far from the swing. But you didn't notice your daughter get off the swing."

"No," replied Peter simply. "I was reading."

Max looked at him closely. He couldn't read any reaction at all on Peter's face.

At this point, Bernadette spoke. "DS Carter, I'd like to point out that my husband really concentrates when he reads. It's not at all unusual for him not to notice what's going on around him, no matter how noisy or strange it may be."

Max thought he could hear a trace of anger in her tone, but he couldn't quite tell if it were directed at him for asking the question or at her husband's reading habits. His phone started to ring and he stepped aside to answer it. It was DI Manson, checking on how things were going there. He said perhaps it was time to suggest to the family that at least one of them go home, in case Emily turned up there. He said he would meet them there.

"Guv," said Max as he hung up the call. He turned once again to the Wards. "OK, I think we've done all we can do here for the moment. Let me take you back to your house and we can discuss things further there. One of my superiors will meet us…"

"But we have to keep looking! We can't give up yet!" interjected Bernadette fiercely.

Stevie took over, "Mrs. Ward, no one is giving up. It's just there doesn't seem to be much more for you to do here other than worry. The search will continue here. But I think it's best for you to be at your own home where you can be ready to greet Emily if someone returns her there. Trust me, Mrs. Ward, we have experience at these things and it's best for you to get away from the scene here to clear your head and give us the best information you can."

Bernadette opened her mouth as if she intended to speak, but then she just pursed her lips and nodded her head. Stevie and Max led her and her husband to their car and escorted them home. Bernadette took one final glance over her shoulder at the swing, then turned away before her emotions overtook her. It was incomprehensible to her that she was returning home without her daughter.

**The FLO**

They arrived at the house to find DI Manson waiting at the door. With him were Sergeant Jo Masters and Roger. They went off to check the house, especially Emily's room, while Stevie went into the kitchen to make tea for everyone. This left Max and Neil alone with the Wards.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ward, I just want to assure you that we have every available unit involved in the search for your daughter. DS Carter indicated that you seemed to hesitate about being brought back here rather than staying at the scene of Emily's disappearance, but in my experience this is for the best and there is absolutely no need for you to feel in anyway cut off from the investigation because of it, as you will be constantly updated as to what's going on. One of the things we do is assign a Family Liaison Officer, who, as the name suggests, liaises on our behalf with the family. May I suggest DS Stevie Moss act in this capacity for you? She would basically stay here with you, ready to pass on anything that springs to your mind that might be useful to us, or pass on anything like new leads that we might get to you."

Bernadette's face showed plainly that she wasn't too happy with the notion of an FLO, and considered it an intrusion.

"So the FLO is basically with us constantly?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Neil simply.

"Oh don't worry, I understand that you have to consider me and my husband as suspects! I know you'll be watching us as well as supporting us!" She stopped as something occurred to her. "Do we have the right to veto the FLO you suggest?" she asked.

This was unexpected. "Well, yes," Neil said.

"Nothing personal against your officer then, but I don't really feel any connection with her. If we can choose an officer, there was a red-headed PC who dealt with me initially. I felt she was really genuine in her concern. Can we request her as our FLO?"

"Millie?" said Max, not altogether pleased with the suggestion.

"Is that her name? I should have asked of course, but at the time…" Bernadette ended the sentence by waving her hand.

"PC Millie Brown?" said Neil, "Well, she's had the training. I'll see what I can do. Here's Stevie with the tea. Max, can I see you in the hall for a moment?"

Neil and Max left the room. "Max, I get the impression Mrs. Ward's request concerns you. Is it because it involves a child? I remember the conversation we had when Millie was in hospital…"

Max had completely forgotten he had confided in Neil that Millie had thought she might have been pregnant when she was shot.

"Yes," Max replied. No need to tell Neil how the situation had been complicated since then.

"I see. Well you and I both know she's more than capable of handling the job. And it's obvious Mrs. Ward likes her. But if you think it would upset her too much, maybe we can suggest Mel or Roger or Banksy?"

This presented Max with a dilemma. He did think the subject might be a sensitive one for Millie at the moment, and she might get too emotionally involved. But, on the other hand, maybe it was just the diversion she needed to get her mind off thinking about what she saw as her failure. He had no doubt she'd be good at this job.

"I guess the thing to do is to offer it to her and see what she says," responded Max.

"Great," said Neil. "I think she'll be wonderful at it. Ah, here's Jo. Jo, Mrs. Ward has specifically requested Millie as FLO in this case. Is that OK with you?"

Jo shrugged, "Sure, I guess we just need to run it by Smithy and of course Millie herself. I'll call Smithy now."

Neil and Max returned to the sitting room and were handed their cups of tea.

"Well Mrs. Ward, Sergeant Masters is just checking that Millie is available to be your FLO, but apart from that it should be no problem. I will say that PC Brown is a very sensitive and intuitive officer and I feel completely confident putting you into her hands."

Bernadette's face wore as much of a pleased expression as she currently had the energy to muster. "You could probably add sincere and intelligent to the description, from what I saw of her," she said before taking her cup out to the kitchen. She stood at her sink and looked out the window at the empty backyard. There was the mini trampoline her daughter loved so much. Everything looked so empty and still. She wiped a solitary tear from her eye and determined to present a stoic front to all assembled in her sitting room. When she turned, the uniformed Sergeant, Jo Masters was standing behind her. She smiled kindly and spoke softly:

"Mrs. Ward, our Inspector has spoken with PC Brown, and she's more than happy to be your FLO. She should be arriving here within the hour."

"Thank you," Bernadette replied. "Nothing against your other officers, but…"

"I understand. You want someone you feel comfortable with. It's a hard enough time without…"

"Precisely." Bernadette cut the conversation off. "Shall we join the others?" she asked ushering Jo out of her kitchen.


	4. Millie and Bernadette

**Millie's arrival**

Max knew he might not get another chance to see Millie tonight, so he, along with DI Manson, waited with the family until she appeared. As Neil knew all about their relationship, Max was sure Neil would allow him and Millie a moment alone.

Bernadette had spotted Max's reaction when she suggested Millie could act as their FLO, and wondered exactly what it was this surly detective had against Millie. Did he think she wasn't competent? It was obvious DI Manson didn't agree with this assessment. DS Carter seemed to be the type that would hold prejudices against people for his own reasons. She had seen the way he reacted to her husband not noticing Emily's disappearance. She herself was used to that type of behaviour from Peter. DS Carter simply didn't know, as she did, the reasons for her husband's reactions.

There was a knock at the door, and Bernadette watched as DS Carter jumped up to be the one to answer it. This put a new idea in her head. Perhaps it was the opposite of what she had initially thought, and he was rather too fond of the pretty young PC? Bernadette was pleased to have a new intrigue to divert her mind from its unpleasant preoccupation with what could be happening to her missing daughter.

Max walked down the hallway and pulled the front door open to see his wife standing before him. She was casually dressed in a cotton top and jeans, with her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. _She's so beautiful,_ he thought to himself. He looked behind him to make sure they were unobserved and pulled her towards him to give her a quick kiss. It wasn't simply desire that made him do this, but also his worry about the emotions a case involving a missing child might evoke in her.

"You look tired, babe," he said softly. "Are you sure you're up to this? You're not feeling sick?'

She grimaced, even though she knew he was just being kind. She really didn't need reminding that she was menstruating. "I'm fine," she replied. "Any news on Emily?"

"Nothing yet," Max sighed. "Still no trace of her at the park. The father's a strange one, very cold. And it doesn't look like there's anyone obvious who would want to hurt the family - not that we've uncovered at this stage anyway." He paused and stroked Millie's cheek, "It looks like you might be here for a while, probably overnight. Have you got painkillers and other, um supplies?"

Millie rolled her eyes. Although this doting husband routine was sweet, it was getting on her nerves. "Max!" she said sharply, trying not to be overheard. "I have been having periods for over half my life, I think I know what to bring for an overnight stay!" She saw the look on his face and realised that yet again she had snapped at him for showing concern. She did this all the time these days. She softened her tone, "Look, I know you're worried, but I'm fine…"

The sound of footsteps came from the hall behind them and Max turned to see Bernadette walking towards them. Max stepped to the side and Bernadette reached out and pulled Millie into the house by putting an arm around her shoulder. Max took it that the arm was somehow also there to protect Millie against him. Maybe she had heard Millie snap at him.

"Thanks for doing this," said Bernadette, welcoming Millie into the sitting room. Millie greeted DI Manson and held out a hand to Mr. Ward. "Pete, this PC Millie Brown. She's the one who was so understanding at the playground."

Peter half-heartedly took Millie's hand, then sank back down into his chair.

"Pleased to meet you," Millie smiled at him and observed how he showed her no warmth in return. "So, how are you holding up?" she asked, returning her attention to Peter's more receptive wife.

"Only just," said Bernadette, clearly discouraging further conversation at that point in time. She was becoming impatient for the other police officers to leave.

Neil picked up on her increasing hostility towards him and Max. "Right then, we'll leave you to it Millie, if that's OK. But if we can have a quick word…" Neil said beckoning Millie to follow him.

"Guv," nodded Millie. She turned to Bernadette. "I'll just have a word to my colleagues and I'll be right back."

"I'll put the kettle on," said Bernadette, making her way out to the kitchen. Peter sat in his chair absorbed in his paper.

Neil, Millie and Max walked out to the hallway together.

"Well Millie, you certainly made an impression on Mrs Ward! As to Mr. Ward, hmm, his reaction, or lack of one, is a bit strange. Max is the SIO on this case, so you can contact him about anything you find out. Well, good luck Millie. Max I'll see you in the car in a moment," Neil awkwardly left Max and Millie to make their farewells in private.

Max looked down the hall and noting that the sitting room door was only open ajar pulled Millie towards him.

"I'm going to miss you tonight," he whispered into her ear.

"I'll miss you too. But still, I'm glad of the chance to help Bernadette. I can only imagine how she's feeling! Husband doesn't seem so supportive either."

"No, he's a puzzle all right. Hard to work out how that fits into the case though. So, call me if you need anything – anything…" He punctuated the word the second time with a kiss.

He saw a shadow cross the door to the sitting room, and took his arms from around Millie.

"Bye then," he said, clasping Millie's hand one last time.

"Bye, bye," said Millie softly as she watched Max walk down the path to the car waiting for him at the curb. She shut the door behind him, pressed her face against it for a moment and sighed. Then she turned and made her way back to the sitting room.

**The Two Women**

When Millie entered the room she saw Bernadette was sitting on the arm of a chair, with a questioning expression on her face. She concluded that Bernadette had seen at least part of her farewell to Max. She wasn't sure if she should come clean about it.

"So, I forgot to ask you if you wanted to coffee or tea?" said Bernadette raising herself from her perch.

"Hmm, seeing as it's not late, I guess coffee. But why don't you sit down and let me get it?" Millie started towards the door.

"No, no really, I need to keep busy," Bernadette put out an arm to halt Millie. "But you can come into the kitchen with me while I make it if you like."

Millie was more than happy to leave the sitting room, where Peter Ward still sat silently transfixed with his head in the newspaper. She followed Bernadette from the room.

Bernadette flicked the switch on the kettle and brought out a clean cup for Millie and placed it beside the used one she already had for herself.

"Instant OK?"

"Sure."

"Look Millie... you don't mind me calling you that?"

"Please do," replied Millie with a smile.

"I will, but you call me Bern. Bernadette is such a mouthful. Anyway, I know that you and your colleagues think my husband's behaviour is a little weird…"

Millie looked aghast, "No, we never meant…"

"Now, now let's at least start this relationship off being honest," said Bern in a tone that made it clear their opinion didn't offend her. "Pete's responses aren't what most people expect. And the simple reason for that is he has Aspergers Syndrome."

"Oh," said Millie, annoyed at herself for having jumped to conclusions and judged him for his behaviour. "And Emily has ASD, you said. Aren't the two related?"

"They are both on the autism spectrum, yes. Though thankfully, unlike her father, who as you can see can appear detached, Emily is loving and affectionate. Thank God!" Millie could see that Bern's exclamation was almost a prayer. "There are theories that ASD can be hereditary. Let's hope this little one doesn't suffer too."

Bern patted her stomach and Millie realised for the first time that Bern was pregnant. She had noticed she carried a bit of extra weight, but thought it was simply that. Her sympathy and admiration for the woman multiplied. What a lot of burdens she had to carry! And her poor husband too.

"Oh, how far…"

"Four and a half months. I suppose you just thought I was fat!" Bern laughed as she set the cup of coffee down in front of Millie.

Millie just stared at her coffee and didn't respond. What could she say, really? An awkward silence fell for a couple of minutes.

"So tell me, is usual for nothing much to have happened this long after a child disappears?" asked Bern suddenly.

Millie was surprised by the question, not because she didn't think Bern cared but more because Bern had been doing such a good job at deflecting the attention away from her own feelings about the situation. Here she was fussing over her and everyone else while her fears must have been eating her away inside. Millie wondered if this were her way of coping.

"It can be a good thing," Millie said carefully. "They haven't found any evidence of…violence," she watched Bern shut her eyes as she uttered that word, "… so there's reason to believe she's not injured."

Bernadette looked at Millie and put her hand on Millie's wrist appreciatively. "That was very well put. Thanks. It can't be fun for you dealing with people in this sort of situation all the time. It must sour you after a while. Like that Detective Sergeant who was here before. It seems it's all business with him. Until you were mentioned of course…"

Millie could see that Bern was definitely giving her a prompt. She couldn't see any reason not to tell her. "He's my husband actually."

Bern didn't expect that. She said teasingly, "Husband? How boring! I thought I'd just uncovered a secret office affair!"

"Secret office marriage," corrected Millie. "Well, most people know we're a couple but not that we're married…"

Bernadette went to continue her questions, when Millie's phone rang.

"Excuse me," she said answering it. It was Sergeant Masters, who was ringing to say that as it was getting dark, they were discontinuing with the search of the park for the night, "Anyway," she told Millie, "we're convinced there's no sign of her at the park. But make sure you reassure Mrs. Ward that we're remaining vigilant."

"I will. Thanks Jo," said Millie as she hung up.

Millie looked towards Bernadette, whose eyes contradicted her stony façade.

"Well?" she asked, clutching one hand inside the other tightly.

Millie sat and put her hand on Bernadette's. "They've decided to stop searching the park as it's getting too dark, and they've searched it thoroughly enough in the daylight. But be assured, every unit out there tonight is carrying Emily's description and keeping an eye out for her."

Bernadette covered her eyes with her free hand then brought it down to cover her mouth to her chin. She looked out her window at the dusk descending over the backyard.

"I'm glad she's got her jacket," she said blankly. "I just hope it's enough to keep her warm tonight."

She got up and left Millie alone in the kitchen. Millie could see that she wasn't being invited to follow.


	5. Night Falls

**The Empty Nest Part 1**

Millie decided to wait and give Bern a little time to herself before she went looking for her. Discovering that Bern was pregnant had added a new dimension to Millie's concern, and the best way Millie could think of to calm her at the moment was to give her time alone to clear her head. Millie had decided it might be best to get a doctor to look at Bern in the morning. After all, the shock of the day must be an incredible strain on her. And if the stress jeopardised this pregnancy…Millie couldn't imagine how anyone would cope losing an unborn child as well as having a living one missing. She was still trying to work out the best way to broach the subject with Bern, as she thought that perhaps this proud woman might not take kindly to being told she needed a doctor's attention. Millie was conscious of the importance of not making her resentful so early in what could be several days of them existing in close quarters.

She couldn't find Bern anywhere downstairs so she made her way up the staircase for the first time. There was a room with an open door, and Millie headed to that. The large bright letters that spelt out the name on the door declared it to be Emily's room. Millie pushed the door further open, and saw Bern was sitting on her daughter's bed. She had been crying, but fiercely brushed the tears from her cheeks when she sensed Millie's approach. Millie tried to think of something to say that didn't sound, well, stupid. But thankfully Bern broke the silence.

"Sorry, you must think I'm crazy sitting here," apologised Bern, wiping her face with the back of her hands.

Millie sat down beside her. "Crazy? Far from it! I've got nothing but admiration for you. The lack of updates is getting to me, but with you being pregnant on top of everything else..." Millie stopped herself here for fear of worrying Bern or insulting Peter's dependance on her. She tried a different tack. "But, you know, I am here if you do want to talk about things, and not just to gather information for the case. You can even vent some anger or frustration onto me if you like."

"I can't say I feel especially angry now," Bern said sighing deeply. "At the moment I just feel drained, helpless. I'm usually the fix it person in the house, but this is one situation where I'm completely at a loss about what to do." She started to choke up again. "It's getting to the time of day when I give Emily her bath. Then we look through a book together. And when she's ready she'll suddenly hop up from the couch and trundle her way towards the stairs, Fifi doll in hand. You know Fifi and the Flowertots?" Millie shook her head. "She loves that show." Something dawned on Bern, and she gasped in a panic. "Where is Fifi? I don't know how she'll sleep without her Fifi doll tonight…" She started to frantically search through the bed clothes for her.

"She had Fifi with her," Peter's voice came from the hallway.

"Are you sure?" asked Bernadette, calming down.

"Yes, I can see her on the swing. She's got her red coat on and Fifi is tucked into the front of it. Where's dinner, Bern?"

Millie had started off listening to this conversation grateful to Peter but suddenly wanted to slap him. Shouldn't he be offering to make his worried pregnant wife _her_ dinner? But Bern was quite calm.

"You go downstairs and I'll be there in a minute. Don't think badly of him," Bern had picked up on Millie's hostility. "He needs routine. He'll panic without it. Now, let's go downstairs and get that meal."

"Do you want to order something? Or let me cook?" offered Millie, who was becoming increasingly worried at Bern's refusal to rest.

"No, no, I know how he likes things, and I want to be doing something. But I might let you peel a potato," Bern smiled.

Bern got herself off the bed and had a look around the room. Just before Bern flicked the light switch, Millie saw her lip quiver for just a moment. Bern was apparently still determined to keep it all in. Or maybe for Peter's sake, she felt she had to.

The two women went downstairs and into the kitchen. On entering it, Millie noticed that the table had been set. And because she, Bern and Peter were the only people iin the house it could only be Peter that had set it. There were other indications that this had been his handiwork. The precision of the four place settings, the perfectly aligned forks and knives, the measured distance between each of the place mats and the cups and the straightness of the chairs were in keeping with Millie's understanding of what was involved in Peter's condition. He needed order. Millie found it particularly poignant that one of the place settings had been laid for his missing daughter. The booster seat and the special cutlery and Peter Rabbit bowl and cup were all in place, as if everything were normal.

Bern saw the setting and winced. It may be a comfort to Pete to have the setting there, but she had been hoping to convince herself that Emily was in bed early or eating at her grandma's house.

Bern looked at Millie. "Well, I suppose there's half an hour until dinner can be served, and there's always a chance Emily could be home by then," she said.

Millie wondered if Bern were embarrassed by Peter's having set the place, and was trying to make it seem rational to Mille. "Of course," she agreed. "There is always that chance."

They both knew in their hearts that this was looking doubtful.

**The Car Ride**

_Bert looked at the reflection of the little girl in the car's rear view mirror, and really wished there were another way. Somehow taking a child left a bad taste in his mouth. To be sure, the child didn't seem especially upset to him, and hadn't made the slightest commotion when he had undone her harness on the swing and lured her into the bushes after him, but he still felt there was something inherently evil about child-napping. Why couldn't they have offered him an alternate means of making a point? He guessed it served him right for getting involved with such lowlife in the first place._

_At least he knew that he was taking the child to a safe place. Mrs. Kelly, or Ma as he called her, had taken him in when he was a seven year old petty thief, abandoned by his drug addicted mother and never acknowledged by his father, forced to live on the streets by his own wits. And she had given him love and a place to call home. Ma and he had maintained their bond even after Bert had left to start a life for himself. She always referred to him as her greatest success, because he had managed to get a good job and make an honest living._

_He never told her about his gambling debts and how they had caused him to lose his house and reputation. And now here he was, nearing her doorstep and about to lie to her again. She had no idea the child wasn't his to place in her care. When he had told her that he had a business trip coming up and had to have somewhere to leave the precious child of whom an ex-lover had recently told him he was the father while he was away, Ma had jumped at the chance to help. Her fostering days had recently come to an end and not all of her charges were as good at maintaining contact with her as her devoted Bobby. She was happy to take on a child, especially one who, her Bobby told her, had 'special needs'. The most vulnerable had always held a special place in Ma's maternal bosom, which is why she had decided to foster in the first place. _

_Bert glanced at the child again as she sat in the darkness of the back seat, apparently staring at her hands. Occasionally her face showed signs of excitement at what she saw and she had once or twice squealed with what he presumed to be delight. The only time she had been upset was when she dropped her doll on the floor, and Bert had had to pull over and retrieve it, much to her automatic mollification. Poor kid, he thought to himself. What kind of scum am I to put her through this? Bert's self-loathing had reached an all time high, and he couldn't avoid the fact that he deserved every bit of it._

**The Empty Nest Part 2**

It was no surprise to either woman that Emily hadn't suddenly made an appearance in time for dinner. The three adults had sat at the table and eaten mostly in silence. Millie found her position opposite the place set for Emily unsettling, but she was determined to put on a brave face for Bern and Peter. She could see that Bern was taking advantage of Millie sitting at her right to avoid glancing at Emily's empty place to her left. Millie encouraged this contact by making small talk.

Peter methodically ate his way through the meal and didn't talk to anyone. Millie noted the way in which he took a forkful of each component of the meal in turn, starting with the sausages, then some potato, then some carrot and then some peas. And then he ate through them in the same order again. At the end of the meal he replaced his empty glass at the exact centre of his coaster and aligned the fork and knife perfectly on the plate. _And to think I thought Max was neurotic for putting his cds and books in alphabetical order! _Millie thought. She thought about the challenges both Peter and Bern must face every day. And on top of this they'd lost their little girl, at least temporarily. Millie wondered if Peter felt that he was in any way to blame for Emily's condition, then internally scolded herself for making assumptions about him again.

The dishes were washed and Peter made his way up to bed. Millie was surprised to learn that he was intending to go to work tomorrow as usual. She couldn't help but feel he should be at home supporting his wife, but Bern made it clear to her that his absence would remove more of a burden from her shoulders than having him at home all day where he'd fret about the break in his routine.

Bern decided she would go to bed too and try and get some sleep. She warned Millie that she might have to get up in the night if she couldn't sleep, as she didn't want to disturb her husband.

Millie settled in the spare room, which unlike the other bedrooms was downstairs. Millie was relieved to have a little space and some time to herself. Of course, the first thing she did when Bern and Peter went to bed was ring Max.

"Hey,"

"Hey lover, what's happening?"

"I'm in bed..."

"Interesting. What are you wearing?"

"A singlet and undies."

"Do me a favour and slide one strap of your shoulder, then..."

"Sorry, no phone sex. I'm a guest in someone else's house, remember!"

"I know, I know. It's just I'm in bed too, missing you. Anyway, how are things going?"

"Well, Bernadette is pregnant."

This revelation was immediately concerning to Max. How would that make Millie feel in light of her not being pregnant again? "Oh, I didn't notice. Look, um, if you want someone else to act as FLO..."

"No Max, I can handle this. It kind of puts my own self pity into perspective really. Anyway, I think I should get a doctor in to check Mrs. Ward out tomorrow."

"Good thinking. We don't want anything else to go wrong for the Wards. How's the husband?"

"Still a little strange. Determined not to let any of this break his routine. He still wants to go to work tomorrow."

"Hmm, maybe we'd better look more closely into his working life, or keep an eye on him tomorrow at least."

"I told Bern about us, by the way. Not in any detail, just that we're married."

"What? You didn't mention that I'm the best lover you ever had?"

"Isn't it enough that I tell _you_ that?"

"Well, yes, that's appreciated, but still it doesn't do any harm to a bloke's reputation to have the word spread."

'Fine, I'll make sure I find a way to weave it into our conversations tomorrow!"

"Good girl. Say, we have a briefing in the morning at eight thirty. I'll drop by after that."

"Hmm, that's still ten hours away. I miss you! I need you to bring me a hot water bottle for my tummy."

"Poor love. I miss you too. Maybe Dream Max will bring that hot bottle."

"Ah, Dream Max! He's nearly as good as the real thing."

"Yeah, well, I'd better not tell you what Dream Millie's agreed to do to me tonight!"

"Oh really? That hussy!"

"I'm sure once Dream Max has soothed your stomach he'd be more than happy to do similarly disgusting things to you."

"One can only hope. I'd better go now. God knows this might be my only opportunity to get some sleep tonight."

"OK darling. Sleep well. Let me know if you have any updates. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

Millie blew a kiss into the phone before she hung up. Her period wasn't making her suffer as much as she had lead Max to believe, but she still felt like she could use some pampering. She turned out the light and stretched out in the not so uncomfortable spare bed and was soon asleep.


	6. A New Day

**The Briefing**

PC Mel Ryder was making her way to the briefing room for the 0830hrs briefing on the Emily Ward case. Coming from the opposite direction were PCs Nate Roberts and Roger Valentine on their way to the same room. As she approached them she caught snatches of their conversation.

"My money's on 5 to 10," said Roger.

"Mate, you're kidding me!" replied Nate. "Millie's the FLO! He'll say it more than that! I say at least 15 to 20."

"OK," Mel interrupted. "What are we talking about?"

Roger answered her. "Nate and I are taking bets as to how many times Max will refer to Millie as PC Brown in the briefing."

Mel smiled knowingly. It was an oft commented on fact that calling Millie by her full title, even in circumstances when other people simply called her 'Millie', had become somewhat of a habit of Max's. Everyone understood the reason behind it: that is, that Max wanted to make it clear that he wasn't blurring the distinction between the personal and the professional. But it was nevertheless amusing.

The three PCs found their discussion interrupted by an "Ahem" behind them. DI Manson slipped some money into Nate's hand and said, "I'll take the middle ground then, 10 to 15."

Nate smiled and put the bill safely in his pocket.

Max stood up the front of the room looking restless and keen to get this over with. Foremost in his thoughts was the sooner this was out of the way, the sooner he could go to the Wards' and see Millie. It wasn't just that he missed her; he was worried about her as well. He knew how upset she was about not being pregnant and he was worried this case would exacerbate these feelings.

Just to add to Max's stress levels, Superintendent Meadows walked in with the new Borough Commander in tow. Max had never before met the woman and had no idea how involved in the case she wanted to be. He went to address her but she simply waved her hand to say that he should carry on and not notice her presence. However, Max knew from experience how misleading these kinds of gestures from superior officers could be.

It seemed everyone was now assembled and it was time to start the briefing. Max took a deep breath.

"OK everyone as you all know, at 1530hrs yesterday 3 year old Emily Ward went missing from Mill Meadows, where she was playing in the playground accompanied by her parents. A thorough search of the park yesterday gave up no trace of Emily, and no one has come forth as a witness to her leaving the park. As to the circumstances of her disappearance, her mother, Bernadette Ward walked over to the bin, leaving Emily in the swing with Emily's father, Peter Ward, close by. When Mrs. Ward returned, Emily was gone and her father saw nothing."

"Do we believe that Sarge? Surely he would have noticed something was happening?" asked a sceptical Nate.

"Mr. Ward suffers from Aspergers Syndrome, which results in him being able to concentrate intently on one thing at the exclusion of others. At the time of Emily's disappearance, his focus was on his newspaper. I should mention too that like her father, Emily has been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, though it sounds like her condition is on a different point on the spectrum to her father's. Basically, Emily doesn't speak, nor is she good at paying attention when, for example, her name is called."

"Is there an appointed FLO?" asked the Borough Commander.

"Yes, PC Brown is currently with the family in that capacity."

Nate put one mark on his note pad. The count had begun.

"And have you liaised with PC Brown this morning?"

Max knew her promise of keeping out of this had been too good to be true. He had a feeling this was just the start of the Borough Commander's questions. And he always felt awkward talking about Millie at work. He didn't want to come across as boasting about her, but at the same time he didn't want to downplay her abilities either. This woman's questions were beginning to fluster him.

"I liaised with her last night," he replied.

Max became aware of low level murmurs and sniggers around the room. He looked up to see several people trying to keep straight faces. Jo Masters was not even bothering to hide the broad grin on her face, as Stevie and Terry nudged each other beside her. Damn, he wished he'd phrased that differently!

The double entendre was lost on the Borough Commander, who simply asked him, "So what did PC Brown tell you?"

"PC Brown said that she was getting on well with the family, bonding especially with the mother, and that the father was a little distant. Oh, and she told me she was pregnant."

Max's careless use of pronouns caused an even greater commotion this time. A few people wondered if he actually meant Millie was pregnant, but most understood what he meant and saw the funny side of how it come out.

Jack Meadows put his hand over his mouth to smother a chuckle, before addressing his officers. "All right, everybody focus. A very serious crime has been committed here."

The Borough Commander looked confused. "PC Brown is pregnant? Is that relevant…"

"I think DS Carter means that Bernadette Ward is pregnant, not Millie," DI Manson spoke on behalf of an embarrassed Max.

"PC Brown was getting Mrs. Ward's doctor in to see her this morning to make sure she was OK in light of Emily's disappearance," explained Max, grateful to Neil for having fielded the question and keen to get back on track.

Despite the explanations, the behaviour in the room was astonishing to the Borough Commander. What could they all possibly find amusing in a child-napping case? She figured there was something strange about DS Carter's relationship with the said PC Brown that everyone else knew about except her. She didn't have the type of mind that immediately jumped to salacious conclusions, so assumptions fell completely another way.

"DS Carter," she said. "Do you have some sort of problem with PC Brown?"

Max was taken aback, much to the renewed delight of his Sun Hill colleagues. "No, Ma'am."

"I'm just sensing some sort of awkwardness here. Don't you two work well together?"

"No, I mean, yes, she and I do work well…"

"Because if necessary we can get someone else to take the place of either one of you. If you don't feel comfortable working with her, or she's uncomfortable being under you…"

Her last comment made it even more difficult for everyone to suppress their amusement. The poor Borough Commander had no idea what was going on, and Max was kind of starting to enjoy the feeling of sharing a joke with everyone, rather than being left out. He had never got on particularly well with anyone at Sun Hill, but he had noticed that his relationship with Millie had meant that people were more willing to be friendly to him. This made him feel that the room might be on his side after all. Maybe they were laughing with him, rather than at him? He recognised the opportunity to once and for all establish himself as one of the gang. He put his mind to work on a comeback.

"Believe me, Ma'am," he said. "PC Brown and I work very well together. I think it's safe to say she and I both find it a completely rewarding experience when she's under me."

"All right then," the Borough Commander was slightly confused by the eruption of laughter Max's comments brought on. What a weird group they were! She decided it was time to have a word to their Super alone. She nodded to Jack and they left the team to continue the briefing without them.

"Come on, everyone, you've had your fun," said DI Manson, who still had a twinkle in his eye. "Can we be serious now, Max?"

"OK, sorry Sir…"

"Don't apologise, it was obviously irresistible. Jo, I believe your people have had a breakthrough of sorts from CCTV?"

"Yes Guv. PC Valentine, can you update us?"

Roger picked up the remote control and went to the front of the room. "Initially we thought the CCTV from the park didn't capture Emily's departure, however, if you look at this footage from the car park..." here Roger stopped the fast forward and played the tape, "we can clearly see a man helping a young child into the back seat of this car."

"Certainly looks like Emily. The child had dark hair and is wearing a red coat," agreed Max. "Nice work Rodge. Do we have licence number?"

"Only a partial one Sarge. Leon is running a search even as we speak trying to match it to the right type of vehicle."

"Great, let me know when there's an update. I'd better get over to the Wards' house, I'm suppose to meet Millie there at 10. Rodge, seeing as you were there when it all kicked off, do you want to come with me?" Max looked to Jo, who gave this the OK. "See you at the car in five then Rodge?" Max said as he left the room.

Roger walked over the Nate and held out his hand. "Did you hear that? He called her Millie. I believe that was 5 times he called her PC Brown? Can I have the DI's money, plus the fiver you owe me?"

Nate shook his head and handed over the cash. He preferred the Max you could laugh at to this new Max who was in on the joke. Time to find a new target…

**Doctors**

Bern's first night without Emily had been understandably restless, and Millie was determined that, despite the pregnant woman's objections, she needed to see her obstetrician to make sure she was all right. Eventually Bern gave in and allowed Millie to ring Dr. Scott on her behalf. Millie had been researching gynecologists and obstetricians for the last six months or so and Dr. Arabella Scott had been on her list, due to her reputation. For this reason, Millie was very keen to meet her. After Millie left a message on Dr. Scott's pager, the good doctor got back to her within the hour and agreed to drop in that morning on her patient.

With Peter at work, Bern spent her morning dozing in their bed. Millie showed Dr. Scott to the room, then left her to examine Bern in private.

After about thirty minutes, Dr. Scott appeared at the top of the stairs and made her way down towards Millie.

"How is she?" Millie asked.

Dr. Scott smiled, "Everything seems fine at this stage. If she becomes more obviously stressed, I can prescribe some tablets for her, though of course we do try to avoid unnecessary medication during pregnancy. You have my pager, so feel free to contact me again if you see the need."

Dr. Scott started to make her way towards the door passed Millie, but there was something about the look on the officer's face that made her stop.

"Um, do you have something you wanted to ask me, PC Brown?" she asked.

"Nothing you should worry about. It's about me, and that of course is not why you're here."

Dr. Scott's father had been a police officer so she had a great admiration for members of the force, and Bern had spoken highly of this young woman. Why not give out a little free advice when asked, she thought?

"Ask away," she said. "If it's something simple, perhaps I can help you."

Millie hesitated, then thought she may as well take Dr. Scott up on her offer. After all, it wasn't every day you were offered free gynecological advice.

"Well, my husband and I are trying to get pregnant, and…we're not succeeding."

"How long have you been trying?"

"Six months now."

"I'd give it a year before you start to worry. How old are you both?"

"I'm 31 and he's 36."

"So there's not really any reason to think you're running out of time just yet. But I can see you are really worried, aren't you?" Dr. Scott said kindly.

"I just thought it would happen the first time we tried, I guess. I mean, I've always been conscientious about not getting pregnant and now…"

"And now it's not happening as quickly as you thought? I hope it's reassuring to know this isn't uncommon?"

Millie wasn't quite convinced.

"Well," continued the doctor, "if you are worried you could always have some tests…"

At this point there was a knock on the door and Millie reached out and opened it. It was Max and Roger. Roger made his way to the kitchen to allow Max and Millie a chance to talk alone once this visitor left.

Dr. Scott halted the conversation at the arrival of the newcomers. But Millie hadn't quite finished with her yet.

"It's OK Dr. Scott, this is Max, my husband. Max, I just asked Dr. Scott a couple of question about our situation while she was here, you know, about pregnancy."

Max looked behind him to make sure Roger wasn't around, then stepped and closed the door that went from the passage to the kitchen to make sure they weren't overheard.

"I see," said Max, deliberately talking very softly. "I hope she has allayed some fears?"

"Yes, Mr. Brown, I told your wife there's no reason to be concerned if you're not pregnant after only a few months. At your ages, I'd give it a year before you needed to worry."

"You were starting to talk about tests?" Millie prompted.

"Yes, that's right. I said it's simple enough to do a couple of quick tests. Millie, we could give you a blood test to start with to check you are ovulating, and Max we can do a test of your sperm."

Max hadn't really paid attention to Millie's research regarding this type of thing, and initially he nodded and smiled at the doctor, assuming that he would be taking a blood test too. But then it dawned on him that she had specified that Millie's was a blood test, but not that his was. He started to get worried. Did this test involve other sorts of needles, and if so, where exactly would they be sticking them? Max wasn't enjoying the images this idea was conjuring up in his head.

"What sort of test would I have?" he asked.

Dr. Scott's mouth started to curl into a smile. She could never get over how little attention men paid in this sort of thing until they realised their 'manhood' would be scrutinised.

"We would have to analyse a freshly ejaculated sample of your semen," she said. "I presumed you would be familiar with the scenario. It's been the stuff of comedy sketches for several generations now."

Millie rolled her eyes, and started to heap further coals onto Max's head. "Yes Max, you know the scene. A small, white room, a well-thumbed collection of sticky magazines, a paper cup…"

Max was clearly becoming uncomfortable now. It was his job to arrest people for public masturbation, not participate in it! And a paper cup wasn't as inviting a receptacle for his semen as something Millie-shaped.

"Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, 'the strong arm of the Law' hey?" said Dr. Scott, pleased with her little joke. She started to make her way towards the door.

"I think the expression is 'the _long_ arm of the Law'," said Max wanting to regain a bit of dignity.

"Oh, my apologies. Anyway, it's good to know society is in such strong capable hands. It was nice to meet you, Millie… and Max." She looked with amusement at the expression on Max's face.

"Thanks so much, doctor," said Millie, shaking the doctor's hand.

"My pleasure," responded the doctor, as she shut the door behind her.


	7. Emily's Evening

I hope bath time is a lot easier for you, MissLala!

**The Introduction**

_The night before..._

Mrs. Kelly had been sitting with a cup of tea watching one of her favourite police shows (which she was annoyed to discover the network had cancelled!) when she noticed headlights shining in her front window. She saw them extinguished and heard the click of an engine being stopped. A car door creaked then slammed. Another door creaked and a longer period of time passed before it too was shut. Footsteps crunched their way up her garden path. Mrs. Kelly stood up and smoothed her apron in her lap. Bobby was here with her new charge.

She was at the door before a knock was heard. She opened the door and there was her most loyal foster child, her Bobby, standing at the door behind a little, serious-faced girl with dark brown hair and a colourful doll in her hand. Mrs. Kelly crouched down to the child's level and took her hand.

"Hello darling. I hear your name is Emily. You can call me Ma Kelly if you like."

Emily didn't look at the old woman. Her attention was focused on the flickering light coming from the lounge room. She pushed her way through and walked towards the television. She put her hand to the screen. Ma looked at Bert, and they both went into the lounge room. Ma picked up one of the three remotes on the table and spoke again to the child.

"Emily," she said. "This isn't really a show for little girls to watch. Do you like 'In The Night Garden'?" She turned on the dvd player and the theme to the show started playing. Emily smiled and sat herself down in front of the tv.

Mrs. Kelly ushered Bert into the kitchen. "I went to the shop today and asked them what shows the children were watching these days, and they mentioned that one. Lucky your daughter likes it, eh?"

_Daughter, that's right, I'd forgotten I'd told Ma that, _thought Bert. "Yeah, sure she likes it. Not that I've really got to know her too well. Shame I have to go away, but business is business."

Mrs. Kelly's face was bursting with pride as she nodded her head in agreement with her successful foster son. "I'll take your word for that, Bobby. You always were much too clever for me."

Bert sighed and put his arm around the woman who was more of a mother to him than the one who had given birth to him, then left him dirty and hungry in his cot while she brought men into the other room to get money for her drugs. "Please Ma, call me Bert. I'm not ten any more."

She wrapped her arms around him and rocked him back and forth. "You'll always be my Bobby, darling, no matter how big and important you are. Say, your little girl is very pretty. Though she must look like her mother. She's a lot darker than you, and her face is rounder. Where is her mother by the way?"

"Sorry Ma, I don't want to talk about her, really."

"OK, I understand. Do you want some food before you go? I have something ready for Emily too, which I'd better serve up soon, or she'll never go to sleep."

"Thanks Ma, I am a bit hungry." Bert was interrupted by his phone buzzing. He looked at the number. "Business," he told Ma. "I'll just take it outside."

Ma watched him walk out the door, then busied herself reheating food and setting the table. She set a high chair for Emily. She wasn't too sure how advanced the child was, so she made the food relatively mushy for her.

Meanwhile, Bert was dealing with the phone call outside.

"Hi…yeah it all went to plan. I have the child… now don't you worry about where she is! Suffice it to say she's safe and she's not going anywhere…Sure, what say we meet the day after tomorrow…Well, surely contacting him is up to you, not me! Come on I've done my bit…oh look, fine, whatever. Let's work these details out then…Yeah OK, OK I know I owe you big time but surely…Oh, you bastard!...Well what can I say then, I've got not choice. Fine. I'll see you then."

Bert snapped his phone shut then banged his fist into the nearest tree. _Fuck that hurt!_ he thought, instantly regretting his moment of temper. And Ma would notice if it bruised. Still, he felt he really needed a bit of pampering after the shit he'd had to pull today, so he made his way inside to eat his dinner.

He thought how anyone who happened to peer through Ma's dining room window that night would see an old woman, and a man (probably her son) and his daughter sitting down to an uneventful family meal. They would probably smile at this scene of domestic contentment. Bert reflected on how easily people accepted the outward appearance of things as how they really were. But they had no idea. He may look like a nice, average guy, but he felt like he'd just sold his soul to satan.

**Emily and Mrs. Kelly**

Once the meal had finished, Mrs. Kelly stood at the door and farewelled her Bobby as he made his way off into the night. It didn't escape her attention that Emily had paid absolutely no attention to her father's departure, but Mrs. Kelly put this down to her 'condition'. Emily certainly wasn't an average three year old, Mrs. Kelly observed. She hardly made any eye contact with either of them, or acknowledged them when they spoke to her. In order to get her to the table, Mrs. Kelly had picked the girl up and carried her to the chair and placed her in it. Emily had made no protestations at being carried by a stranger, nor had she given any indication of being pleased by the physical contact. This wasn't going to simple, sighed Mrs. Kelly, but she'd had children that behaved worse in her care than this silent, detached little poppet.

Mrs. Kelly fussed around preparing things for Emily's bedtime, which she was free to do while Emily sat entranced by Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy. She unpacked the bag of clothes Emily's father had left for his daughter, and noted that not one item she unpacked looked like it had ever been worn. She told herself that perhaps Bobby was trying to impress her with what he could afford for his daughter, though none of the clothes looked especially expensive. Poor Bobby, he probably had no idea how to parent a child and maybe thought that buying things for her was the best way to earn her love. As well as clothes, Bobby had packed toys and they too looked unused. Perhaps, Mrs. Kelly conjectured, Emily didn't know how to play with toys properly, being so much in her own head. She knew that ASD kids could be that way.

In light of this, Mrs. Kelly was in two minds about whether or not to bath Emily tonight. What if Emily carried on? She knew that she wasn't as strong or energetic as she once was, and was unsure about her ability to deal with a tantrum-throwing three year old. But, she supposed she had to face it some time in the next week or so she had Emily under her roof, and she figured the first time was most likely to be the worst. It was best to get it over and done with. She checked on Emily in the lounge room, and saw that the child was still contentedly watching the television. She went into bathroom and turned the taps on in the now seldom-used tub. She had bought a floating duck thermometer to make sure she didn't make the bath too hot. Then she returned to the sitting room to collect Emily.

Her timing seemed perfect, as she entered the room just in time to watch the credits roll as Igglepiggle drifting across the water snugly covered by his red blanket. As the theme finished, she turned off the television. Emily didn't seem too perturbed by this, thank God. Mrs. Kelly cautiously took the next step.

"Emily," she said, walking up to the child.

Emily ignored her, and instead proceeded to lie on the floor with her feet in the air.

Mrs. Kelly tried again. "Emily. Bath," she said.

Still no response. Mrs. Kelly sighed and decided it was time to take more decisive action. She went over and scooped Emily up in her arms.

Emily didn't make a commotion. She just used both her hands to attempt to push the old woman away. Mrs. Kelly was not one to be easily put off, so she merely held the child more tightly and carried her to her new bedroom. She sat Emily on the change table she had set up and started to remove the child's top. Emily realised what was happening and completed the process for her. Mrs. Kelly breathed a sigh of relief and said "Good girl," to show her approval. These words earned her her first smile from the little girl. She smiled back approvingly.

Next it was time to remove Emily's leggings and nappy. Mrs. Kelly wondered how far along Emily was in terms of toilet training. She assumed that Bobby had put a nappy on Emily for the journey for fear of her having an 'accident' in the car. It made sense that a single man might resort to nappies rather than running the risk of having to clean up after his daughter the entire time she was in his care. But at the same time, somehow she couldn't imagine Bobby dealing with a dirty nappy at all. She thought to herself she would have to ask him about this next time she spoke to him.

She carried the naked Emily to bathroom and started to lower her into the bath. This was when the protestations started. Emily clung around Mrs. Kelly's neck in desperation not to go into the bath. She started to cry. She kicked her legs, which led to water splashing everywhere as her feet were the only part of her that had reached the water. Mrs. Kelly determinedly scooped up water with her hand to at least get the little girl's nappy region cleaned before her strength for fighting the struggle failed.

She started to scoop up water and splash it over the child's body, conscious of avoiding her face and hair, because she'd heard ASD children particularly hated this. Emily's crying started to progress to tantrum stage, and Mrs. Kelly decided she had given her enough of a wash, and, with one arm secured around the struggling, screaming Emily, grabbed the nearby towel into which she adeptly bundled the toddler.

Mrs. Kelly carried her back into her bedroom and sat herself down on a chair and rubbed the child dry as the sound of Emily's screams filled the air. Emily rubbed her face against Mrs. Kelly's bosom and sobbed loudly. Mrs. Kelly's attempts to pacify her by chanting "shh, shh, shh" as she jiggled her on her knee seemed to be failing. She decided it was time to bring out the big guns and sing.

The first song that came to mind was 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean', but Emily obviously didn't appreciate that. She tried to think of more modern songs and the best she could come up with was ABBA, but Emily wasn't going for that either. Several more songs were tried and rejected, until 'The Skye Boat Song' came to mind. It was an instant hit. Emily stopped her crying and let herself be properly dried and dressed, while Mrs. Kelly sang the gory ballad with its depiction of ransacked villages and murdered Scots and sedition. She couldn't help but see its calming influence on the child as ironic.

Emily's distress was once again evident when Mrs. Kelly placed her in her cot with her Fifi doll beside her and left her to sleep. Emily's cries rang through the house via the monitor as Mrs. Kelly shut down the house for the night. In accordance with the child rearing principles of her era, she let Emily cry for a while then checked on her every so often. When Emily had failed to sleep by the time Mrs. Kelly herself was ready for bed, she felt she had no choice but to pick Emily up from her cot for a cuddle. It almost broke her heart when Emily clutched at her neck and looked at her and said pleadingly "Mumma". She knew at that moment she couldn't leave the poor thing alone in a strange room to sleep that night. She picked her up and carried her to her own room, where she lay the child in the bed beside her. It wasn't long before Emily drifted off to sleep between Fifi and her new guardian. Nor was it long before an exhausted said new guardian dozed off into a well earned slumber beside her.


	8. The Photo

**Back to Business**

Unbeknownst to Max and Millie, Bern had been on the landing at the top of the stairs and had overheard parts of their conversation with Dr. Scott. Her heart immediately went out to Millie. No wonder she had given the impression of such great empathy in the park yesterday. _The __m__aternal instinct sure plays havoc with our emotions,_ thought Bern. Maybe she and Millie would get a chance to have a tete a tete about things later.

It was Max who first became aware of Bern's presence. He looked up and saw her standing in the shadows, and immediately began to worry about how much of the conversation she'd overheard. He gave Millie a nudge, and she looked up and spotted Bern as well. She too was embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," said Bern, starting to slowly make her way down the stairs.. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but once I was here I didn't want to make you feel bad, so I stayed put."

Max and Millie looked at each other. They didn't know what to say. They weren't happy about being overheard, but they didn't want to add to Bern's already considerable concerns.

"Never mind," said Millie. "How would you like me to make us all a cuppa?"

"Good idea," said Max. "I have some things I'd like to update you both about."

"Before we do that, I just want to say that while Millie's here, if you two ever want time alone, that's fine with me. You're married after all. If you feel the need to lock yourselves alone in the spare room to…"

"Roger!" Max interjected suddenly, attempting to quash the conversation before PC Valentine entered the hallway from the kitchen.

"I wasn't going to put it quite so bluntly," Bern said out the side of her mouth to Millie, who smiled. "I was just going to say 'talk'."

"Bern, do you remember PC Roger Valentine from yesterday?" asked Millie.

"Yes, of course I do. Sorry about getting so upset with you but I…"

"That's entirely understandable, Mrs. Ward, don't let it worry you. Now, I've got the kettle on, so let's all go into the kitchen."

Roger stood in the door way and ushered Bern and Max through. He grabbed Millie before she followed them and engulfed her in a big hug.

"I didn't know you were married! Why didn't you tell me?" Roger was slightly hurt about this. He had a regard for Millie that bordered on paternal.

"Thanks Rodge. It's nothing personal you know. We haven't even told our families. Only Jack, Neil and Smithy know at work."

"Well, I never thought I'd say it, but I approve entirely. You seem very happy together. Everything is all right, isn't it? I didn't catch all of what was being said, but it seemed like there was some problem…"

"No, really, it's all fine. It's just, well, difficult being apart when you're newly weds, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I do," said Roger, chuckling. "I say Max is very lucky to have you." He pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks Rodge," Millie kissed his cheek in return. "Now let's get in there before Max comes out and finds us kissing!"

Millie and Roger walked into the kitchen to find Max sitting at the table while Bern was making cups of tea. Roger sat Millie down in a chair beside Max and went to help Bern distribute the teas. He collected his own cup and took a seat at the table, smiling over at Max as he sat. Max wondered exactly what Roger had overheard.

"So, you have news for me?" asked Bern as she blew on her cup to make the hot tea drinkable.

Max took out the still photos taken from the CCTV footage. "Yes," he began, "there's a photo of a child in this picture that we're pretty sure is Emily. Are you OK to look at it?"

"Yes! Let me see it!" Bern moved forward in her chair to get closer to Max and the photo.

Max turned the photo right side up and placed it before Bern. She covered her mouth with her hand and made a sobbing noise into it. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"That's her," she said hoarsely, pushing the photo away.

Max slid the photo across the table for Millie to see. Millie looked sadly at the blurry image of the little girl.

"Now," said Max. "This is a photo of the man with her. I need you to look at it closely and tell me if you think you know him. Take your time. We know how hard this is."

Millie smiled fondly at Max and thought about how much more sensitive he seemed to be these days. She couldn't help but think that he'd be a good father.

Bern eagerly grabbed the photo and looked closely at it. Millie watched as she squinted and moved the photo to get the best view she could of it. Eventually she thumped it onto to the table, rubbed her eyes and shook her head.

"No, I have no idea who that is," she said, sounding disappointed in herself. "I suppose you'll show this photo to Pete too?"

Max nodded. "Officers will be with him now, showing him the pictures. We'll hear straight away if there are any leads. So, anyway, how are things here? Is Millie looking after you OK? How was your night?"

"Millie has been wonderful," said Bern. "The night was restless and, well what else can I saw? It's hell on earth. I pray nothing like this ever happens to any of you. I just feel so...powerless."

Millie got up from her chair and stood behind Bern and put her hands on her shoulders. Bern patted one hand appreciatively.

Roger and Max sat at the table and awkwardly drank their tea. Bern obviously needed a bit of a break before they bombarded her with more questions. Max put the pictures back in the folder and hoped that his colleagues were having more luck with Peter Ward.

**Peter at Work**

Peter Ward had trouble dealing with things that fell outside his logical processes. He wanted everything to make sense to him and when it didn't, he would start to panic. Then, as a young university student he had met the super efficient and calm Bernadette Leigh, and the world outside had become a much more inviting place. Bern had made him feel that he had someone to share the burdens of every day life with him, someone who could calm him when things became overwhelming.

When raven-haired beauty Bernadette had fallen for the awkward young mathematician with several strange and unnerving habits, many people had been surprised, and a lot of young men disappointed. But from Bern's point of view, Pete possessed two very desirable qualities: a very sharp intellectual mind and an air of helplessness. Bern needed to look after people, to feel useful, and Peter had made it clear very soon after their first meeting that he was the perfect candidate for her zealous protective instincts. It didn't take them long make their relationship official and once Peter had been granted tenure at the university, they seemed set for a life that promised mutual contentment.

Bern and Peter were married ten years before Emily was born, and it was at that point that the main challenges in the marriage began. As organised as Bern and Peter tried to be, Emily had a way of throwing their plans for the day into disarray. She would cry during the night and keep Bern awake, which in turn would disturb Pete, who declared he was unable to sleep without his wife beside him. The forty five minute time slot Peter had set up for their nightly meal was often extended or even delayed because of some behaviour of Emily's, and this would throw his whole evening schedule out. Bern had assured Pete these were all stages and that soon Emily would settle down and fall into step with their routine.

When Emily was two it was becoming obvious that she wasn't developing like other children. She didn't talk beyond the odd word, which she would often say once and never say again, and she had only learnt to walk a couple of months previously. Bern was of course concerned, but had up until this point been assured that Emily would do things in her own time. Then she had taken Emily to a doctor who suggested she see a specialist doctor 'just in case'. The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder had weight heavily on Bern's already burdened shoulders. Now their entire routine would have to be changed to incorporate regular speech therapists and classes for Emily, to ensure that she would be up to speed by school age.

Peter, Bern and Emily were just settling down into a new family routine, through which both Pete and Emily were starting to thrive, when Emily was taken from the park. Despite his appearance of detachment, Pete adored his little girl and was now feeling that an important piece of the machinery of his daily routine was missing. He sat at his desk in his office and looked at the picture of Emily, Bern and him that they had recently had taken in a professional studio. He felt admiration for the photographer for getting Emily to smile like that. She often just didn't pay attention.

Peter had turned on his computer and was working on his notes for this week's lectures and prac sessions, when there was a knock on his door. It opened and before him was the blonde detective who had been at the park yesterday and another one of her colleagues. He was a bald man in a leather jacket. Peter wondered what they wanted.

"Morning Mr. Ward," said the blonde.

"Good morning DS Moss," replied Peter. Stevie was impressed that he had remembered her.

"This is DC Perkins, Mr. Ward," continued Stevie. "We'd like to ask you a couple of questions and show you some photos."

"Take a seat then," said Peter, finishing the problem he was working on before shifting his eyes off the computer screen.

Terry walked around the desk to hand Peter the pictures and squinted and screwed up his face to show his complete bewilderment at the scribblings on Peter's screen. What were all those symbols supposed to mean? This guy was supposed to have an intellectual disability, wasn't he?

Terry shook his head and took the photos out of their envelope. "Mr. Ward, we'd like you to have a look at these and tell us if you recognise the people in the photos."

"Well, obviously, that's my Emily," said Peter, getting slightly annoyed at the thought they were treating him like a fool. "And this is…sorry, I recognise him, but I can't recall his name."

Stevie and Terry's faces lit up at the prospect of Peter being able to identify Emily's kidnapper.

"Think carefully, Mr. Ward," encouraged Stevie. "Where do you know him from?"

"I don't know him as such," said Peter, closing his eyes in an attempt to concentrate. "I've just seen him somewhere. That's right, he's been to my maths club. Only once though I think. Bert, his name is Bert. I never heard his surname."

"That's excellent, Mr. Ward. Tell me about your maths club," said Stevie.

"It's just a group of us who get together at a local hall to discuss numbers etc. Not sure who runs it. Someone just put up flyers around the university, so I decided to go along. It was a bit of a disappointment though. I haven't been for a month or two." Peter opened up his drawer, "Here, here's a copy of the flyer."

Terry slipped the flyer into the folder with the photos. "You've been a great help, Mr. Ward. We'll be in touch."

Peter feigned a smile before turning his complete attention back to his computer, not even allowing the officers time to have left the office.


	9. The Maths Group

**Back In the Kitchen**

Max was still sitting at the kitchen table in the Ward house with Millie, Bern and Roger when his mobile rang. It was Stevie, updating him on the possible breakthrough of Peter recognising the man in the photo. Max hung up, happy to be able to at last report something to Bern that suggested they were making progress. With any luck it could even give them a means through which to locate Emily.

Millie noticed his look and was immediately intrigued. "You have news?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"That was Stevie. Mrs. Ward, your husband believes he recognises the man in the picture."

"He does? Where from?" Bern was surprised by this. She knew most of Pete's associates at the uni and was sure it couldn't be one of them. Perhaps it was a new student.

"He says he was in a Maths group he went to. He couldn't remember who organised the group, but it was advertised at the uni and he's given Terry and Stevie one for the flyers. They are heading back to the station to look into the group further."

"A Maths group?" said Bern, perplexed. "There was some group he went to a couple of times, but then for some reason he just stopped going. Said they were, what was the word he used? Rogues. He called them rogues. He said he didn't believe it was Maths they were interested in at all. He seemed a bit agitated at the time, with it being so fresh and all, so I didn't pursue it. I remember I was having a bad night with Emily that night, and I think I just forgot to mention it after that. And he never brought it up again."

"Bern, do you know what he meant by 'it wasn't Maths they were interested in?'," asked Millie.

Bern sighed. "Sorry, no. Oh, I know I should have pursued it, but I was tired and to be perfectly frank, Pete has so many weird reactions to things, sometimes you just can't be bothered coaxing them all out of him. I have no idea what he meant. God, isn't that like life! I can't believe the one time I decide not to pay attention..."

"How he phrased it might mean nothing, Mrs. Ward," said Roger reassuringly. "But just recognising the man and knowing about the Maths Club sound like important leads."

"Anyway," continued Max, "our officers back at the station are looking into it now. We'd better head back there too Roger. Millie, do you think you can bring Mr. Ward and maybe Mrs. Ward too, to the station some time today? We can wait until he's finished work, Mrs. Ward, if you think it's best."

Bern was impressed that Max had picked up on the fact that breaking with routine might upset her husband. She felt bad for having misjudged him when she first met him.

"Thanks... can I call you Max? That would probably make him feel more comfortable, especially if you will have to interrogate him, which is what I think you are implying."

"Not interrogate in the sense of shining lights in his face or anything, just asking him a few questions. You and Millie can sit in on the interview if you like. Of course, if we uncover something that needs addressing straight away..."

"I understand, then you might not be able to be so accommodating. In some ways, I hope this is what happens. I hope you discover something and can get my Emily back straight away." Bern started the sentence calmly, but the tears overcame her by the end of it.

"Perhaps you should lie down for a while, at least until we're called to the station," suggested Millie who put her arm around Bern again.

"You know, I think you might be right. I am tired today. I guess it's the lack of sleep last night. Thanks Max, Roger. If you'll excuse me."

Bern hoisted herself up from the chair and made her way to the door.

"I'll just see her up to bed, then I'll be back. I'll only be a moment," said Millie, following behind her.

Roger collected the cups and rinsed them out, while Max sat at the table and waited for Millie's return. The two men didn't speak.

Millie was true to her word and appeared in the kitchen shortly after. "So, are we thinking the kidnapping's in some way connected with Peter?" she asked, feeling freer to raise this possibility now Bern was out of earshot.

"It would be a bit of a coincidence if it weren't, surely?" said Roger.

"I suspect it might involve him but he just doesn't realise it. I have heard people with Aspergers are very literal. I don't think he'd deliberately set out to lie," theorised Max.

"I agree with you there," said Millie. "And even if he could fool us, I don't think he'd succeed in fooling his wife. She's a very smart woman."

"Well, we'll look into it and see what we can tell you later," Max got up and put his arms around Millie, then looked over his shoulder at Roger.

"I'll, um, wait in the car then," said Roger awkwardly.

"Thanks Rodge," Millie beamed at him.

Roger left the room, and Max brushed Millie's cheek with his hand. "Are you sure you're OK? You need anything?" he asked.

"I'm fine. God, how can I even think about myself with what poor Bern is going through..."

"I know. That's what worries me. You are looking after yourself aren't you? Eating, getting sleep? Maybe you can lie down while Bern does?"

"Maybe. But, my dear, Roger is waiting and you'd better go. Update me as soon as you hear anything." Millie took Max's face in both her hands and kissed him on the mouth.

"I will. Take care, all right?"

**The Lead**

As they drove back to the station together, Roger and Max made small talk.

"Let's hope this case is sorted out in time for Millie to be home for her birthday," said Roger.

Max raised his eyebrows, "I'm impressed you remember."

"Millie means a lot to me Sarge," Roger said, giving Max a 'don't you dare stuff her around' glare.

"And to me too. I adore the woman, in fact," said Max, surprised at himself for expressing his feelings so blatantly.

Roger soften his gaze, "So, do you have a present for her?"

"I bought her a gold and pearl bracelet. I hope she likes it."

"I'm sure she will. I'm pleased to hear you're spoiling her."

"As I said, she means the world to me."

"It's a shame it took three kidnappings - four including this one - a shooting, you having a near fatal fall..."

"Yeah, yeah I know, I was a bit slow on the uptake."

"So whose idea was it to marry?"

"Mine."

"Well all I can say is you're very lucky you hadn't scared her off before now. After that Jade Hopkins incident..."

"All right, I don't need to be reminded of that. I know I was a real prick, OK? I thank my lucky stars every day Millie forgave me!"

Roger decided it was time to ease up on Max. He felt he'd made his point.

Back at Sun Hill station, Max left Roger to go upstairs to CID to check out how Terry and Stevie were getting on with their lead. He found Terry leaning over Stevie's desk, reading over her shoulder as she studied something on the screen. She was chewing her lip, and after having worked with her for some time now, Max knew this wasn't a good sign.

"Any joy?" said Max, bounding over to the desk.

"Not really," said Stevie without taking her eyes off the screen. "The phone number isn't connected, the contact details provided to the hall they use are bogus, and no one seems to admit to ever having gone there except Peter Ward."

"Well, I told Millie to bring Peter and Bern in later. Perhaps he can remember a few more names. Or we can show him a few faces."

"I've had another idea, Max," said Stevie. "This Maths group should be on tonight. We could get someone to go along."

Max nodded eagerly at this suggestion, "Good idea. We could… but who? Either of you any good at Maths?"

Terry made a face and Stevie shook her head. Then the three of them looked at each other and said in unison "Grace!"

Max continued, "Do we actually know she's good at Maths, or are we presuming because she's smart?"

"Presuming, but it does no harm to ask," said Stevie.

"OK, then, is Grace around?"

"She's with Neil and the Borough Commander at the moment," smiled Stevie.

"You remember her, Max," said Terry, putting a chummy arm around Max's shoulder. "She's the woman that got you to confess to a room full of colleagues that you and Millie favour the Missionary Position."

Max paused for a moment, then smiled. "Because I said we liked her to be under me? Terry, mate, I think it's safe to say you need to put a bit more imagination into your sex life. You must be missing out on several other interesting and very satisfying configurations!"

Max slapped Terry's upper arm and walked off with a grin.

Stevie looked up at Terry, and shook her head. "He's right! Gee, I'm glad I'm not your poor wife!"

Max meanwhile walked down the hall way in search of Grace. On the way, he encountered the Borough Commander.

"Ma'am," he nodded. Here was someone he didn't really want to see.

"DS Carter," said the Borough Commander with a smile. "Say, I do want to apologise for putting you on the spot the other day. Superintendent Meadows explained to me that you and PC Brown are married. I wouldn't have asked so many questions if I'd known."

"Thanks, but really, it doesn't matter."

"Anyway, I hope I didn't embarrass you. Mind you," she said confidentially, "you probably weren't aware, but it was rather funny. Especially when you talked about," her voice went quieter still, "her being under you. That can be taken two ways, if you know what I mean." She giggled nervously.

"Oh, I see what you mean. You know what, it hadn't occurred to me. Oh, there's Grace. I've been looking for her. See you later, Ma'am."

He left the Borough Commander still giggling to herself.

"Grace," he called.

Grace stopped and waited for him. "Max?" she said.

"How's your Maths?"

"Strange question. Never really interested me for its own sake, but I studied it because it had applications in other subjects I took. So, my maths is not too bad."

"Could you mix it with a bunch of Maths nerds?"

"You have such a way with words, Max. What are you getting at?"

"Peter Ward thinks he meet the man last seen with Emily at a Maths club. They meet tonight and we were thinking someone could go along to check things out."

"I'm up for it. Let's go run it by the DI."

Max and Grace went to the DI's office, where they found Neil sitting looking contemplative at his desk. They explained their idea.

"Sounds OK to me. That is if your Maths is up to scratch, Grace. I presume it is?"

"It's not bad."

Neil examined Grace to try and gauge what she meant by this. 'Not bad' for Grace was often 'really good' from other people's perspectives.

Max jumped in, "I guess she can go along as more of an interested party than an expert. As long as she's got an above average understanding of it, she'll be fine."

"OK then Grace, you'd better talk to Stevie about what she's found out about the group…"

"And Millie's bringing Mr. & Mrs. Ward in later, so Mr. Ward can fill Grace in too," said Max.

"Right, I'll just run it by the Super, then we're on."


	10. Bonding

**Emily's Morning**

Mrs. Kelly woke up that morning to the sensation of someone bouncing around in her bed. She opened her eyes to see Emily jumping happily up and down on the bed beside her.

She smiled at the little girl, "Well someone's woken up in a good mood, haven't they?"

Emily continued to bounce. Occasionally she said "Weee! Weeee!"

Mrs. Kelly got herself out of bed and slipped on a dressing gown. "Food, Emily?" she said, making a spooning gesture with her hand.

Emily slid off the bed and started to walk out of the room. She stopped when she realised that nothing looked familiar. The tears formed in her eyes.

Mrs. Kelly rushed over and hugged her. "There, there darling, it's all right. Here, take my hand and I'll show you around. First, let's go to your room and get you dressed."

With Fifi in one hand and Mrs. Kelly's hand in the other, Emily sniffed and followed the old woman.

"Here we go, Emily. See, here are your clothes, and here is your little table and chairs. Now, up you get," she hoisted Emily up on to the change table, "and we'll get you cleaned up and changed."

Holding Emily with one hand, she reached across to the dresser and grabbed a short sleeved cotton dress. She was pleased that Bobby had bought his little girl traditional girlie clothes and wasn't dressing her like a little hussy, as so many people did these days.

"Now, let's do your hair…"

Emily covered her head with her hands and started to scream. Mrs. Kelly wasn't overly surprised at this reaction, having read it was a common one for children with Emily's condition.

"All right then, do you want to come and jump on my bed while I get dressed then?" she asked, picking Emily up and placing her standing up on the floor.

Emily smiled, grabbed Fifi and lead the way back to Mrs. Kelly's room.

"Well, this seems to be going well, doesn't it?" Mrs. Kelly said as Emily happily occupied herself jumping on the bed. "Do you like me Emily? Because I find I really like you! I think we're becoming friends! We're going to have fun together while Daddy's away, aren't we?"

Emily stopped jumping at the word Daddy, and looked around at the door. Mrs. Kelly figured she was probably waiting for her father to enter the room, having heard his name mentioned. She was pleased that Emily had bonded with Bobby to the extent that she'd look up at the sound of his name.

Seeing no one at the door, Emily turned her attention back to Mrs. Kelly, and said plaintively, "Mumma?"

This really tugged on Mrs. Kelly's heartstrings. "Mumma's not here at the moment darling. But I will look after you. Is that OK?"

Mrs. Kelly couldn't tell if Emily comprehended what she had just said, but the child hopped sadly off the bed and reached out for Mrs. Kelly's hand. The two of them walked out to the kitchen together. To occupy Emily while she prepared breakfast, Mrs. Kelly put on a dvd. This time it was 'Fifi and The Flowertots'. Emily shook her hands in the air and squealed with delight!

Mrs. Kelly wasn't sure what Emily normally ate for breakfast, but she firmly believed everyone should start the day with a big bowl of porridge. She didn't want to add sugar to Emily's so to make it sweeter she stewed some apples and added them to it. She didn't feel like too much of a challenge, so she put Emily's highchair in front of the television to feed Emily there. Emily let herself be strapped in and picked up her spoon and, much to Mrs. Kelly's relief, eagerly fed herself the porridge, managing to get a great deal of it in her lap in the process. Mrs. Kelly was so impressed by her eating that she made her toast as well, which Emily consumed just as voraciously.

Once the meal was finished, Mrs. Kelly cleaned Emily up and started playing 'Fifi' again. While the child was paying attention to her show, Mrs. Kelly tackled her hair with the brush. Emily was a bit whingey, but Mrs. Kelly determinedly brushed and tied back her hair albeit with as little effort as was possible to make it look halfway decent.

When this was done and Emily had watched as much television as Mrs. Kelly's conscience would allow, she decided it was time for them to go outside to play.

"Emily. Outside?" said Mrs. Kelly, pointing out the window to the garden.

Emily stood up and let Mrs. Kelly lead her by the hand. Emily amused herself in the garden by watching her shadow or simply walking back and forth. Mrs. Kelly threw the ball to her a couple of times, and cheered when Emily held the ball over her head and dropped it, and made it bounce. The two of them seemed to be getting on very well.

They were so involved in their play that neither noticed the black car parked in the street outside the Kelly house.

**Millie and Bern**

Millie ran the tap, filled a glass with water then washed down two painkillers with it. Her period was giving her grief today. She hadn't mentioned it to Max because she knew he would carry on to an embarrassing degree. And she felt she had no right to complain about anything when she thought of how Bern must be feeling.

The pain in her stomach reminded her of how, once again, she and Max had failed to get pregnant. Dr. Scott had said not to be concerned yet, but how could she help it really? She sat in the sitting room of the Ward house and looked at the photo of Emily when she was a baby on the mantelpiece. What a dear, sweet, tiny, helpless little thing she was, and how Millie's heart ached with longing to have one of those precious little things that was all her own. From the photo she could just about smell and feel Emily's baby-ness. She imagined holding a baby that she had given birth to, that maybe looked like her, or like Max, maybe nourishing it from the breasts that were now swollen from her period rather than an abundance of milk. She felt a lump in her throat at the thought these things may never happen to her.

She walked over and picked up the picture to look at it more closely. A tear splashed against the glass of its frame. While this was happening, Bern quietly entered the room and saw Millie with the photo. Having overheard the conversation this morning, Bern was well aware of what Millie was thinking.

"Precious aren't they?" she said, coming up and putting an arm around Millie. "Look at her in the photo, how perfect she is. No one could have envisioned that one day she'd be snatched from the park. At that stage they're simply there for you to pin all your hopes and dreams on. And to nourish and love, of course."

Millie nodded, and found herself unable to prevent more tears splashing onto the frame. She felt somehow she was no longer simply feeling her own pain, but Bern's as well.

"Let's sit and talk, shall we?" Bern said gently. "So, from what I understand, you're not getting pregnant as quickly as you'd like."

"I know it seems like an overreaction when you say it like that," said Millie. "But I guess the worst thing is feeling that maybe it's just never going to happen. Maybe it's just not something my body can do? Maybe I'll never be a mother?" She reached for a tissue from a nearby box, and blew her nose.

"Well, from what Dr. Scott told you, you don't know that that's going to be the case. She seemed to think that there are many people in the same situation as you."

"I was thinking that Max and I should get tests done now anyway. I don't know how many more months I can stand the build up of hope, and then the crashing down to earth at the realisation that once again it hasn't happened. It's just so painful."

"Tests are a good idea. They can reassure you if there's nothing wrong, or enable you to make plans if something is amiss. There are all sorts of things they can do these days, you know."

"Thanks Bern. I appreciate the pep talk. I've never met anyone before who could focus on someone else's problems so well when they're in the midst of such a great crisis of their own."

Bern rolled her eyes. "Well, if I didn't I reckon I'd be going crazy by now. It helps to have other things to focus on."

"So, did you find getting pregnant easy?" Millie asked. She didn't feel bad keeping the conversation going after Bern said she found it helpful.

"Not really. It took us eighteen months. We had all the tests and everything, and they all came back fine. Then just as we were about to look into interventionist methods of falling pregnant, there was that extra line. And then several months later, there was our beautiful baby girl," Bern smiled and stroked the photo of Emily lovingly.

"She is absolutely gorgeous," agreed Millie.

"You know, when she was diagnosed with ASD, I was so relieved. When her strange behaviour started, my mind went straight away to all the horrible diseases she could have. I was so afraid of losing her! And when they said that, just knowing that she wasn't about to die made me so happy! When you tell people your child is autistic, they don't know what to say. Or they try to reassure you that it's not your fault. Some even suggest you have a second child, or say 'as long as she's happy, that's all that matters'. But Emily is my little girl, my baby and I love her just as much as I always have. She is the way she is, and she's lovely."

"She sure is. I suppose people just don't know what to say and feel they have to say something," said Millie.

Bern continued, "Ironic isn't it that I thought she was sick and might die, and instead she's taken from me just when she's on the point of making breakthroughs with her treatment, just when I'm confident it's going to be OK!"

"No reason to give up hope yet," said Millie. "This Maths group might be just the lead we're looking for."

"Well I hope Pete is able to recall stuff that's of further use to you. It's difficult though, because sometimes he just overlooks things that other people would see as being of paramount importance."

"When we bring him in, we'll make sure you're sitting in for the interview and you can keep him on track, yeah?"

"I'll be doing my best! Your Max said they won't be shining lights in his eyes or anything, but if I think if Peter, intentionally or not, is holding anything back, that would be the most gentle form of torture I'd put him through!"

Millie gave a light laugh. "He loves Emily too, doesn't he? It was very sweet the way he had to set her place for dinner last night."

Bern smiled. "She's part of his routine now. She adores him too you know. Even though he's not affectionate, she cuddles up to him and he seems to enjoy it."

Millie found herself wondering just what Pete and Bern's sex life must be like! But the depth of their feelings for each other was obvious, so…

"Anyway, back to you. How long have you and Max been together?"

"Getting on for two years now."

"So, you obviously work together. How did the relationship start?"

"Let me see," laughed Millie. "First I liked him, then I was kidnapped and he asked me out but I turned him down. Then I went undercover and he came to find me and the romance really started while we were being held hostage together."

"OK. Just a typical boy meets girl story then?"

"When we've got more time I'll tell you about when we split up, when I was shot and when he nearly fell victim to a team of corrupt cops."

"You were shot? Good heavens!"

"In the shoulder," Millie moved her top to show off her scar.

"It's hard to believe being shot could leave such a tiny mark," said Bern.

"It doesn't feel tiny to me! The sooner I can get a skin graft or something, the better! Anyway, back to more important things, does Pete have a long enough lunch break for us to visit the station half way through the day instead of after work?"

"Good thinking, PC Brown. I'll just ring him and see."


	11. The Interview

**In the Canteen**

Peter had a two hour break for lunch that day, so Millie and Bern collected him from the university and drove him into Sun Hill station.

Meanwhile at the station, most of the officers who had worked way beyond the end of their shifts and into the night searching for Emily were now arriving back at the station for another long, hard day. None of them were complaining because few cases could be of more urgent importance than those involving missing children.

Nate, Leon, Mel and Ben were all sitting drinking coffee with their two Sergeants, Jo and Callum, before the start of the said shift. Grace had been studying away in the corner, brushing up on some Maths in preparation for her visit to the Maths group tonight. Jo waved her over.

"Grace! Any news on Emily we haven't heard?"

Grace came and sat down with the others, "Peter Ward recognised the guy who was getting into the car with Emily, and he's from a Maths group Peter went to. So tonight, I am going undercover as what Max refers to as a 'Maths Nerd'."

The PCs all laughed, and Jo nudged Grace in the ribs and said, "Now there's a role you can pull off, no problem. Did Peter Ward have anything else to say?"

"I don't think so. Millie is coming in soon with him and Mrs. Ward, so he'll be interviewed fully then."

"Ah, Missionary Millie eh?" said Nate significantly.

Callum and Grace, neither of whom had been at the briefing yesterday, looked at him quizzically.

"Explain?" said Sergeant Stone, giving Nate a none-to-gentle whack on the leg.

Jo always loved a good story, and wanted to be the one to tell this one. "The Borough Commander asked Max if Millie enjoyed being under him, meaning presumably in terms of working on this case and he replied her being under him was something they both enjoyed!"

Callum made a face, "Max made a joke? Boy, I did miss something not being in yesterday!"

"Well, it doesn't exactly make you envious of their sex life, does it?" said Ben.

"I disagree. That's one couple you can guarantee has a great sex life I reckon," said Nate confidently.

"Why?" asked Jo, intrigued at the thought of the logic at work in Nate's mind to lead him to this conclusion.

"The guy's a complete knob. What else could she see in him? It's the only reason I can think of that a girl like Millie would put up with him."

"You are so lucky you're gorgeous," said Mel, tickling him under the chin. "Because you'd never be able to take Grace's place as a Maths nerd, if you know what I mean."

"Actually, I'm quite good at Maths!" said Nate indignantly.

"It's true," collaborated Leon. "If you buy him a coffee and give him the wrong change – watch out!"

DI Manson walked into the canteen and approached the table full of people.

"How did you go with the Super, Guv?" asked Grace.

Neil sighed, "He agreed to it, but he thinks it's a good idea if someone goes along with you, so…I will be." He gave those assembled at the table a look as if to squash any ideas they might have had of finding this amusing. "So come and talk to me when you get a chance, Grace."

Neil walked away before anyone had a chance to say any more.

Grace remained at the table looking slightly embarrassed.

"Ooo!" said Jo. "A Maths date! One and one make two huh?"

"A word of advice Grace," put in Callum. "When they ask you your favourite number, avoid anything in the high sixties, if you get what I mean. All sorts of things could be read into that!"

"Yeah, I've heard those Mathematical Societies are hotbeds for swingers and other cardigan-wearing sexual deviants," laughed Jo.

Grace grimaced and got up without another word. On her way out, she encountered Millie and Bern, who were grabbing a coffee before Peter's interview. He was currently gathering his thoughts in the bathroom.

Everyone turned very serious at the sight of Bern. Nate, however, had no shame and called out to Millie.

"Hey, Missionary Millie!"

Millie looked at him questioningly. "Um, hi. What's with the new title?"

"Max didn't tell you how he outed you two to the briefing this morning as liking it when you're 'under him', then?"

Bern gave Millie an amused look. "No he didn't mention that to me. Of course, it's completely true. I love being under him."

Nate and Callum whistled, and everyone else looked a little surprised at Millie's easy going attitude to the boring secrets of her bedroom being revealed.

Millie, however, continued. "Did he also mention how I also love being over him, beside him, in front of him…"

"All right, all right, you've given us enough unpleasant images of Max – and some rather pleasing ones of you – to deal with, thanks!" said Jo laughing.

"Excuse us then," said Millie, leading Bern away to get their drinks. Peter entered the room and joined them.

"It seems you have admirers everywhere," whispered Bern, "That woman, is she..."

"Gay, yes, Jo's a lesbian. But she loves a joke too, so I don't think she meant anything really."

Back at the table, Nate started to chuckle.

"Thank God this thing with Grace and Neil has come up, or there'd be no one to tease," he said. "Sadly, Millie seems to have developed a backbone!"

**The Interview**

Max was trying to decide if Peter's interview should be conducted in the soft interview room or the usual one. He wanted Peter be feel at ease, but he also sensed there was a need to bring home to Peter the importance of what he could tell them Peter would open up. Eventually he concluded that Peter might respond better to the formality of the usual interview rooms, so he booked one of those.

He had seen Millie arrive in the car park with Peter and Bern. He looked at her walking through the carpark, still in her casual clothes, hair tied back in its usual pony tail. How much he loved her! He thought that if they weren't able to have children, he could cope. It would be a disappointment of course, but she was really all he needed to be happy. Well, her and his job, of course. He wondered if it were the same for her, and somehow he doubted it. He knew she loved him and he was completely secure about their love, but having children was obviously very important to her. And he wanted to give her everything she wanted. How would she feel if he couldn't give her that?

He watched her crossing the car park to the front office. Bless her for thinking that perhaps Peter might be available during his lunch break! She was so smart. He had to remember to use the new nickname he given her, 'My Little Copper', when they were alone next. Few things riled her as much as when he used that phrase. It was up there with 'Good girl, Millie!' in terms of things that got under her skin. He smiled and thought how he adored her mock-anger when she was teased!

Max presumed that Millie would take the Wards to get a coffee or tea before they came up to CID to see him, so he took his time making his way back to his desk. On his way through he noticed Grace in Neil Manson's office.

"Max!" he heard Neil say as he passed by.

Max stuck his head around the door, "Guv?"

"Max, I thought you should know, the Super wants both Grace and me at the meeting tonight."

"Oh, OK," Max was amused by this. "Your Maths up to scratch, Guv?"

"I'm very good at it in fact, always won prizes at school," said Neil, slightly defensively.

"Well, we've got the right people for the job then. So, are you posing as a Maths-loving couple?" Max couldn't help himself.

Neither Neil nor Grace looked impressed. "Maths-loving friends, I think," corrected Neil. Neil gave Max a look that said, "Remember I know your secret, so watch it!"

"Ah, just like real life then. Oh, there's Millie and the Wards. I better go," Max fled before Neil could retaliate. He shut the door behind him with a smile.

He had only just reached his desk when Millie, Bern and Peter walked in. He shook Peter and Bern's hands and nodded to Millie.

"OK, I have an interview room set up for us. Are we all ready? I see you all have drinks. This way," Max ushered first Bern and Peter through the door, then placed his hand lovingly on Millie's back to guide her through.

They entered the room and Bern automatically sat herself down on the far side beside her husband. Millie sat down next to Max.

Bern smiled and said, "Maybe we can do this around a dinner table some time?"

Max was trying to keep things business like and didn't know what to say. Millie just said, "Yeah, that would be nice."

Max looked at her as if to discourage her from further small talk, but Millie knew that keeping the atmosphere relaxed so Peter didn't feel under pressure was paramount. Because she could sense that Max was in full-blown cop mode, she decided she would start things off in her own more gentle way.

"So, Peter. You mentioned a Maths group to a couple of our officers today. Is there anything more you can tell us about it?"

Peter looked surprised at the interest, but he did like Millie so he tried to think of something to say. "Not really. I was disappointed in it. I was hoping it would be a nice change from the university departmental environment of today, you know, where it's all about getting funding. I was hoping to perhaps share my love of mathematics with like minds. But when I got there I felt the people running it had very little knowledge of the subject."

"What makes you say that?" Millie coaxed.

"I guess more than it being a discussion or practical, it was set up like it was almost a competition, like we were betting against each other."

Something dawned on Max. "Mr. Ward, did these men ask you for money?"

Peter looked shamefaced, "Um, yes they did. Don't worry darling, I didn't give them any! I just stopped going."

Bern grabbed her husband's hand and kissed it. She then looked at Max and Millie, knowing that the penny had dropped at the same time for all of them.

Peter caught the exchange of glances and started to panic. "What is it Bern? Did I do something wrong? Is, is Emily's disappearance my fault?" He became more visibly distressed.

"Mr. Ward, it's not your fault that there are unscrupulous people out there. They are the ones responsible, not you," said Millie soothingly.

"Mr. Ward, Mrs. Ward, can you excuse us a moment?" asked Max, thinking it best to give them a bit of room as well as discuss things with Millie. They left the room together and Max flagged down a passing PC and asked them to notify DI Manson. Then they went into the adjoining room and watched the Wards through the viewing window.

"Well, huh?" said Millie, who was a bit distressed by this latest finding. She was worried the Peter would beat himself up about it or that Bern would be caused further stress by it.

"Hmm, well indeed. So it's seems that, most likely, Emily's kidnapping was an attempt to scare Peter into paying up."

"And, he thought by ignoring these people, they would just go away. Which I guess is logical. What they were doing didn't make sense to him, so he didn't think it should be acknowledged."

"Anyway, well done for getting him here at lunch rather than at the end of the day. This has bought us more time." Max stood behind her and put his arms around her waist and kissed her behind the ear.

Millie sighed as she saw the reflection of Max kissing her superimposed over the image of Peter and Bern, both of whom now seemed to be crying.

Max heard her sigh and tried to make her feel better by teasing her. "Good job, my little copper…"

This did divert Millie, and to pay him back she reached her hand behind her and held a certain part of his anatomy as if threatening to cause pain.

"Watch it, mister," she said.

"You don't scare me. I'm rather enjoying it actually," he held her ear between his teeth.

At that point DI Manson came bursting through the door. He rolled his eyes when he saw Millie's hand and Max's ear chewing. They quickly jumped apart.

"Now that that awkwardness is behind us," he said, not quite ready to look either of them in eye yet, "you wanted to tell me something?"

"Yes Guv, it looks like the Maths group is the connection to the kidnapping. It sounds like it was more a gambling syndicate, and Peter Ward just didn't realise. When they asked him for money, he just ignored them because he couldn't understand why. So, to prove their point…"

"…they take his daughter. Millie, has anyone contacted the Wards making demands?"

Millie shook her head. "Not at the house. Though they may well have contacted Peter at work. It seems his method of dealing with them has just been to ignore them, so he may well have had calls but hung up before they said exactly what they wanted."

"OK, Max, Millie, get whatever information you can out of Peter Ward. Then Millie, you'd better take Mrs. Ward home, as we don't want to upset her further if we can help it. We'll have a briefing at say, 1430hrs. It would be good if you can get someone to stay with Mrs. Ward while you come back for it Millie. I'll let the Super know we might need reinforcements when Grace and I go to the Maths group tonight."

Millie raised a questioning eyebrow at Max, who gave her an 'I'll-fill-you-in-later' look. Neil sighed and left the room, resigning himself to being the butt of many jokes for at least the rest of the day.


	12. That Evening

Some Greil.. or Nace… or Masari… or Danson. Gee the options aren't really good are they? Anyway, here's a little bit of Neil and Grace for those who like it!

**The Maths Date**

Grace was keen to get out of the station to go home to prepare for her evening at the Maths group. Her colleagues had been merciless in their ribbing of both her and DI Manson, asking them about their 'date', advising her when to make her move etc. She wouldn't have found it so embarrassing if she could work out exactly what her relationship with Neil was, or how either of them felt about the other. She knew she was attracted to him, but what exactly did that mean? And how did he feel about her?

She was pondering these issues at her desk after their second briefing on the Emily Ward case for the day, when she looked up to see Neil walking towards her.

Neil was as confused about his feelings for Grace as she was about hers for him. She was a formidable woman in many ways; very smart, capable and obviously self-sufficient. So, he wondered, did this mean he was a bit scared of her? Not exactly, it was just he feared that if their relationship were to develop into anything more than it was, he would be the weaker and more vulnerable of the two. And Neil had worked so hard to protect himself from being hurt, especially in the realm of love. Could he risk blowing all this on a woman whom he couldn't be sure would really need him?

Despite his misgivings, he continued on his route to Grace's desk. Luckily there were very few other officers present in CID at the time. He had to get in quickly before they returned.

"Grace," he said, standing in front of her desk.

Grace looked up at him and smiled, "Guv?"

"I was thinking, maybe we should grab a meal before going to this group tonight, you know to discuss our strategy, etc?"

There, it was said. Neil stared at her desk waiting for her reaction.

"Thanks Neil, I'd like that," said Grace softly, thinking it was OK to drop his title in the circumstances.

Neil looked up and their eyes met. They smiled at each other.

"So, I'll come by at the end of the day and we can leave together?"

"If you don't mind, I need to go home first," said Grace. Actually, she had only just made this decision and it was primarily one made so she could do herself up a bit for her 'date'. "I can pick you up though?"

"Fine, I'll see you at what…six thirty? That gives us an hour before the group to…discuss things."

Neil looked behind him and noticed Max and Stevie through the glass walls approaching the office. He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it and instead tapped the desk with his hand before walking off without another word.

Grace had her head buried back in her paperwork by the time Max and Stevie entered…

At home, Grace checked herself in the full-length mirror one last time before leaving to collect Neil. She was satisfied over all with how she looked. Her outfit was casual, but she still gave the impression that she'd made a bit of an effort to look good. She grabbed her handbag and headed for the door.

Neil was watching at the window in expectation of Grace's arrival so he could run straight out when he saw her driving down his street. He really didn't want to face the awkwardness of having to greet her at the door. Tonight was about work after all; it wasn't a date. Nevertheless, waiting for Grace to arrive was wearing on his nerves.

Neil thought about catching Max and Millie before in the interview room. Considering where Millie's hand had been, what he had witnessed was highly inappropriate for the workplace, but somehow Neil hadn't seen their behaviour as offensive. If he had to make an assessment of their job performance, he would have to say they both seemed to have benefited as police officers as a result of their relationship. Millie and Max seemed to him to have found a way to combine their work and private lives without either of them suffering. But was this work / life balance possible for everyone? After all, look what happened with him and Andrea. And if he and Grace were to…but Neil stopped himself there. He had no definitive indication that Grace actually saw him as anything more than a friend. And anyway, just before spending an hour or so alone in her company was not the right time to think about these things.

He saw a car turn into the street, collected his keys and shut the door of his house behind him. He was standing at the kerb by the time Grace pulled up. She didn't even have time to turn the engine off before he was in the car.

"Grace," said Neil, glancing at her in the seat beside him.

"Guv, I mean, Neil," said Grace. She felt awkward. She wished she hadn't put quite so much make up on.

Grace put on her indicator to pull away from the kerb. "So, do you have somewhere in mind to eat?" she asked, pleased that she could keep her eyes on the road rather than having to look at him.

"I do. Do you need directions? It's right near the uni."

"Right, I'll head there and you just direct me when we're near by."

An uncomfortable silence fell as they drove. Grace wondered if she should turn on the radio to lighten the mood. But then she thought ruefully that if she did it would be just her luck that the radio would be playing some painfully appropriate, or worse still, blatantly sexual song. But, Grace told herself, that kind of coincidence only happens in movies or stories.

The silence was becoming unbearable. Grace forced herself to press the 'on' button. And the song playing was Jeff Buckley's 'Grace'.

If the moment was lost on Grace herself, Neil was definitely amused by it. Grace's initial nervousness hadn't gone unnoticed by him. He hid his face by turning towards the windows and laughed to himself.

"Do you have this song on continuous loop or something?" he asked with a chuckle. "I never would have guessed you were such an egotist!"

"Yes, all right, that's very funny!" said Grace sulkily.

"It could have been worse, it could have been 'Amazing Grace', which would have added a whole other level to your conceit."

They pulled up at the lights, and Grace glared at him. Though Neil was sure he saw a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh come on Grace, how many times have you ganged up on me with the others at work, laughing at my interest in magic for instance, or my youth spent clubbing…"

Grace maintained her silence.

Neil continued, "I see, you can dish it out, but you can't take it. Is that it?"

Grace finally turned to face him, "Let me tell you, you have no idea how mocking I can be! You have no idea what it's like when I really dish it out!"

"So, you're saying I couldn't take it? Is that what you're saying?"

"You wouldn't know what had hit you!" said Grace triumphantly, finally letting that smile break through.

Neil was about to challenge her further, but he realised they were at the turn off to the restaurant.

"Right here, Grace," he said.

"What?" she replied, still riled up from their discussion. "Oh, OK."

They pulled over and parked within a few minutes' walk from the restaurant. They stepped out onto the footpath together, and Neil held out his arm for Grace to take. She linked her arm with his, gave him a forgiving smile, and they strolled to their dinner together. They walked in silence, but it had to be said it had been a long time since either of them had felt so contented.

**The Father**

_Although it was not often his habit to work late, Peter Ward was still in his room at the university while Grace and Neil were sitting down to their dinner. But his focus was not on his work. The realisation that perhaps he had been the cause of Emily's disappearance was playing on his mind. He couldn't believe that what he saw as his own stupidity had endangered his daughter and hurt his beloved Bern as well. Neither of them deserved this. He had to fix things somehow. He had to be the man._

_Wasn't this one of the nights the group met? Peter made up his mind that tonight he was going to pay these unscrupulous bastards a little visit…_

**The Group**

Even though they were just as happy in each other's company at the end of the meal as they were at the beginning, Grace and Neil did not link their arms as they made their way into the back of the van where the surveillance team were meeting for the final briefing before the Maths Group. In the back of the van with the equipment were Max, Terry and Stevie, and the technician who wired Grace and Neil up.

The streets around the university were still quite busy, even for the end of the year. They were filled with late working students, and ones that were simply hanging around, plus other visitors to the eating and shopping district that surrounded it. Dotted inconspicuously around the square off which the hall was situated were various other members of the Sun Hill team. Leon was doing a convincing impression of a scruffy Philosophy student, Mel and Ben sat together pouring over a text book that in reality neither of them understood. But everyone's favourite undercover man was Nate, who was strumming a guitar and singing, and earning himself a bit of money as a result. Grace and Neil threw some coins into his guitar case and shook their heads at him as they went passed.

It didn't seem like too many other people had the intention of attending the Maths Group that night. Aside from Neil and Grace, there were two young men- probably new students, a lone, dowdy girl wearing glasses (_now there's a Maths nerd!_ thought Grace), a middle aged man and woman and a couple of distinguished looking men with grey hair whom one would assume were members of the Maths faculty. And standing at the door, asking everyone to sign in was a man whom Neil guessed was in his early forties, who introduced himself as Glenn.

"Welcome to our little club, if you can just write your name on one of these tags, then sign in here. Thank you… Grace. And welcome to you too…Neil." Glenn flashed a sycophantic smile at them both.

Grace sat down beside Maths Nerd Girl and started up a conversation.

"Hi there…Dawne," the name tags were annoying but did come in handy. "I'm Grace. I haven't been here before, I'm not sure what to expect. This your first time too?"

Dawne looked at Grace unsmilingly. "Yes." she said, and made it clear that was all she was going to say.

"Right everyone," said Glenn from the centre of the circle of chairs, "We'll just give it a few more minutes to make sure no one else turns up.."

The sound of heavy footsteps on the wooden floor in the foyer of the hall seemed to indicate that someone was about to enter the room, and they seemed to be doing so with a purpose...

Max was sitting in the van with Stevie and Terry, getting very bored listening to Glenn welcoming all the attendees at the Maths Group. He felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket. A look at the screen told him it was Millie calling.

"Hey," he said.

"Max," Millie said with a degree of urgency in her voice. "We're very worried here. Pete hasn't turned up at home yet."

"And I take it being a creature of habit, this is highly unusual, right?"

"Right. He's not answering at the office either, nor on his mobile."

"OK, well I'm nearby, so I'll go check out his office. I'll update you soon. How's Bern taking it?"

"She's worried, but she's holding it together."

"Good. I'll be in touch." Max hung up.

"The little woman?" asked Terry.

"Yeah. Apparently Peter Ward's gone AWOL. I think I'd better go check his office. I'll let you know."

Max opened the back of van, looked around and got out, shutting it behind him.

He had taken only a few steps when he saw a form striding on a monomaniacal course across the square towards the hall. It didn't take long for him to identify the figure as Peter Ward. He started to run towards Peter, radioing other officers in the area to see if anyone could get to him first. But it was too late. By the time he was anywhere near Peter, Peter had already crashed his way into the hall. Max burst through the door after him just in time to see a horrified Neil and Grace jump to their feet. They retreated in a last attempt to retain their cover when they saw Max come through the doors.

Peter walked up to Glenn and grabbed him by his shirt. "Where's Emily?" he demanded.

"Peter. Calm down," said Max trying to disengaged Glenn from Peter's grip. His eyes flickered across to the DI. He could see that Manson was not pleased.

"I'm sorry, you are...?" asked Glenn, remaining what seemed to Peter to be aggravatingly calm.

"You took my daughter!" he turned to Max. "Why aren't you arresting him?"

"Peter," said Max slowly. "We can't arrest him without evidence..."

The sound of footsteps behind him announced the arrival of Nate, Leon and Ben.

"That's right!' said Glenn, with a smug smile. "You have no evidence, have you?"

"Sir, I shouldn't have to warn you how unwise it is to deliberately aggravate someone who's threatening you." It was all Max could do to retrain from whacking the annoying twat himself.

"Evidence?" said Peter, disbelievingly. "What do you call this then? This was in my pigeon hole when I returned from the station!"

He thrust a piece of paper into Max's hand. Max took it and examined it. Then, leaving the PCs present to keep an eye on Peter and Glenn, he wandered over to the sign-in book by the door. Giving up his cover, Neil made his way over to join him. They compared the writing on the paper to the writing in the book and looked at each other.

"Well Guv?" said Max.

"I'm no expert, but it looks like the same handwriting to me," replied Neil.

Glenn bravado had not faded yet. "Well, you say yourself you're no expert, apparently not even on Maths..."

"Neither are you apparently, Glenn. Any extortionist worth their salt would know not to handwrite threats or ransom notes!" Neil replied drily. "Anyway, I think we have enough here to ask you to accompany us to the station to answer some questions. Nate! Leon!" Neil beckoned to the two PCs, "can you deal with Glenn here? Max," Neil added, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him aside. "What happened here?"

"Millie rang to say Peter hadn't come home, so I went to look for him, but he was already on his way here," Max hoped Neil wouldn't blame Millie too much.

Neil sighed, "Well, probably no harm's been done, but that's really only because Glenn was stupid enough to handwrite that note to Peter. I only hope Glenn will tell us where Emily is. If not, well let's hope at least we get another lead to her whereabouts out of him."


	13. Desperate Men

**The Desperate Man**

Bert looked like a man on the edge as he sat smoking and playing with his fingers, waiting for his contact to show. The Maths Group was meeting that night, so he and John had arranged to meet just before it.

Bert was getting more and more nervous. He was worried about little Emily, whom they'd made him kidnap. He was worried about Ma Kelly, and how she would be towards him when she found out what he'd done. He was worried she might be in danger because of him. And lastly, he was worried about the enormous debt he had run up and how he was going to pay it back. _Funny_, he reflected, _before I took Emily my debt seemed like the worst thing in the world. Now, compared to what could happen to Ma and Emily, it means nothing._

Bert and John had arranged to meet in a café situated on the first floor of one of the old buildings in the university district. Once seated there, Bert could see why John had chosen it. It afforded the perfect view of not only the hall where the Maths group met, but the entire square and its surrounds as well.

John walked out onto the balcony towards the table at which Bert sat. He beckoned to the waitress to bring them two coffees. He smiled at Bert, but Bert was so full of loathing for John, he couldn't even look at him.

"What's up Bert? Can't even raise a smile eh? Even after we offered you a solution to all your problems!"

"Well, it was hardly a solution, was it? You know, to be quite frank, you disgust me!"

"I disgust you? You? A lowly gambler, and kidnapper! Honestly, what have I done that compares to that?"

"Anyway," snapped Bert. 'What do you want?"

"Bert, my friend. We want what we've always wanted: our money," John's tone suddenly turned from sickly sweet to menacing with those last two words.

Bert faced the realisation that this nightmare was far from over. He lit another cigarette to steady his nerves. But they were well beyond the healing powers of nicotine.

"But after I took the little girl…" Bert whispered as he leaned in towards John, keen not to attract any eavesdroppers.

"But after that, what? What did that solve exactly? It's not enough Bert. We want the money as well. We never told you we didn't want the money."

"Look, you've taken my job, my house, my, my goddamn self respect," Bert croaked. "What more can I give you?"

"Oh, my heart bleeds. You're just an innocent Bert, aren't you? Just a victim. By the way," the sweetness had returned to Bert's voice, "How's your foster mother?"

Bert froze, "What do you mean?"

"You know, Mrs. Kelly, your foster mother. Lovely house she has! And such a pretty little girl playing the yard."

Bert was silent.

"It would be such a shame if anything were to happen to them, wouldn't it?"

"You wouldn't..!"

"Oh yes I would. If you don't play ball!"

Bert saw he had no choice. "All right! Look, just cut this crap and tell me what you want me to do!"

"I'll tell you, my friend, this is what we want. You. You to work for us. You to take care of other... little bits and pieces. The things we don't want to soil our hands with, you know what I'm saying?"

Bert took out another cigarette. He knew exactly what John was saying, and he didn't like it one bit.

Their conversation was interrupted by a commotion in the square below. Several people were running towards the hall where the Maths group was right about now assembling. John leapt to his feet.

"Cops!" he said, about to flee while he still had the chance. Before he fled, he grabbed Bert by the collar and hissed, "Keep your phone charged. I'll be in touch." Then he ran out the door.

Bert sat for a while, making the most of his bird's eye view of the commotion at the hall. He watched the police lead a man out and put him into the back of their van. He couldn't work out if it was Glenn or John, but he sure hoped it was one of them. They deserved it! But, Bert thought as he took another cigarette out of the packet, was he really any better than them?

Once things seemed to have quietened down he made his way casually across the square.

At that time, PC Valentine was keeping an eye on the area in civvies, and saw Bert walking by. He recognised him immediately. He put a hand on Bert's shoulder to stop his walking any further.

Bert turned, half-expecting to see John or Glenn behind him. When he saw Roger, however, he somehow knew he was a policeman. He sighed and held his two wrists out together, as if waiting to be hand-cuffed.

"I confess," he said dispiritedly. "I took Emily Ward." Immediately Bert felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Roger took Bert by the arm and led him to the car. He radioed the station.

_Maybe Millie will be home in time for her birthday after all, _Roger thought to himself with a smile.

**The Consequences**

Superintendent Jack Meadows was in his office, giving Millie, Max, Neil and basically anyone else he could think of a piece of his mind.

"Millie, you're the FLO! How could you let Peter Ward run loose like that! Why didn't you let someone know he hadn't come home?"

Millie opened her mouth to speak but Max cut her off.

"She did Sir," he said defensively. He didn't care how high ranking Jack was, he wasn't going to let anyone talking to Millie like that. "She rang me!"

"A bit too late! How many hours ago was he expected home by then?"

"Sir…" Max was starting to raise his voice, but Neil silenced him with a hand on his shoulder.

"All right, Max!" said Neil with authority. "Guv, Millie's focus has understandably been on Mrs. Ward, which considering she's pregnant and everything else she's been through, is fair enough. No one gave Millie a directive not to let Peter Ward go to work. No one told her she needed to watch over him all day. And, I might add, we didn't assign anyone to watch him all day either! Sure, we kept an eye on him, but we weren't suspicious enough to watch his every move."

"True," said Jack, calming down. "Thank God we've at least got someone in custody and thank God Mr. Ward has positively identified him. Max, what other news there?"

"Well, he's not being so cocky now he's been arrested. Basically, he's coughed to using the Maths group to extort money from people. As to the kidnapping, of course he's saying that's all his partner's doing and he knows nothing about it."

"What do we know about this partner he claims he has?"

"Well, it certainly seems there is one. Peter Ward has said there was another man running the group," replied Neil. "We don't know why he wasn't there last night though."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Sergeant Jo Masters.

"Guv," she said, "I know you're busy, but I thought you should all know straight away, Emily's kidnapper has given himself up, and Roger's bringing him in now. Apparently he's being completely co-operative."

_Some hope at last_, thought Millie. Her next impulse was to throw her arms around Max's neck and kiss him, but she managed to restrain herself.

"Well done Roger!" said Jack. "OK, Millie, you'd better get back to the Wards. We'll keep Mr. McAdam stewing in his cell for a while while we see what Roger's man can tell us once he's arrived."

"By the way, Guv," continued Jo, "He says his name is Robert Kelly, Bert for short, so he definitely sounds like the man Peter Ward described."

"So, is he Glenn McAdam's partner then, the apparent mastermind behind the whole thing?" wondered Max outloud.

Jo shrugged, "Roger gave the impression he was a pretty beaten character. He offered no resistance at all, just waited to be handcuffed."

"What concerns me," said Millie, "is that if he took Emily, why isn't he with her now? Where is she?"

"Let's hope to God he hasn't done anything to her," said Neil, putting everyone's main fear into words.

"Or that if Glenn McAdam's real partner is still out there, he's not going to panic now his partner's been caught," added Max.

Millie started to walk to the door, constructing in her head exactly what she was going to say to Bern and Peter. Jo noticed the worried expression on her face and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Let's have a chat about what to tell the Wards, eh?" she said. She nodded at Jack, Neil and Max and shut the door.

**The Late Night Visitor**

Mrs. Kelly was singing to herself while she washed the dishes after she and Emily had had their tea. She reflected that the day had been a great success! As Emily was Bert's daughter, Mrs. Kelly regarded her as the closest thing she had to a grandchild of her own, and she was completely chuffed that they were getting on so well. From what she had been told, this was no mean feat with an ASD child either! But Emily had laughed and cuddled her quite willingly. Sure, there had been a couple of minor tantrums when Mrs. Kelly didn't understand what Emily wanted, and sometimes she just didn't do what she was told, or got a bit sooky missing her mum. But on the whole Mrs. Kelly felt she had been very responsive and they were forming a genuine bond.

She had once again sat Emily down in front of 'In the Night Garden' and was about to prepare things for Emily's bath, when there was a knock on the door. This was highly unusual. She wondered who that could be at this time of night? Maybe it was Bert?

She opened the door and saw the man who, unbeknownst to her, had not long before been sitting having coffee with her favourite foster child.

"Mrs. Kelly?" John asked.

"Yes," she smiled, "Can I ask who you are?"

"I'm a friend of your son Bert's..."

"Oh, how lovely! What can I do for you?"

"Well actually, you can get the child and come out to the car with me. I'm here to collect you and Emily."

Mrs. Kelly was clearly confused. "Collect us? To take us where?"

John gently pushed her back into the house and forced his way in. Then, smiling, he opened his jacket and pulled out a gun.

"To answer your question, to take you wherever I damn well say," he said sweetly. He looked into the lounge and saw Emily in front of the television. "Now, you and I are going to get some things together for your journey. After all, I am a civilised man. I want you to be comfortable while you're staying with me. Then you are calmly going to take Emily out to the car and we are going to drive away. Is that all clear?"

Mrs. Kelly looked at Emily still innocently staring at the television. She had to stay calm for her sake. She didn't want to upset this man, who, she could see, was plainly unstable. Every instinct she had wanted to fight, but realistically, that was not an option. So instead, she just nodded and complied.


	14. Things That Go Bump in The Night

**Unfit for Interview**

As he drove back to the station with Bert Kelly in the back seat of his car, Roger became increasingly concerned at the vision that greeted him in his rear view mirror. It was clear Bert was really in a bad way. At one point he actually threw his head forward and started to sob, begging the forgiveness of, from what Roger could understand, his mother. Roger thanked God Bert was wearing a seatbelt, otherwise he could have knocked himself out on the back of the seat.

Roger knew that when he got to the station he would have to take Bert to see the FME, and the FME would most likely classify him as Unfit for Interview.

_Great, just great_, thought Roger_, the one clue we have to Emily's whereabouts and we can't use it._

Millie and Jo had walked out of Jack's office to find Bern and Peter sitting drinking cups of tea and waiting. Bern looked angry. A few of Jack Meadows's words had drifted out and it was all she could do to stop herself storming in there and giving him a piece of her mind! Millie had just been perfect in her role, as far as Bern was concerned. She almost felt tears come to her eyes at how important to her Millie's support had been over the last couple of days.

Millie saw the angry look in Bern's eyes and automatically assumed Bern was angry at her too. It was an almost pleasant surprise when Bern started abusing the Super.

"What was that man on about? You know, Sergeant," said Bern, addressing Jo, "I honestly don't know how I would be coping if I didn't have Millie's support! She's reassured me and helped me keep a level head many times. And she's never lied to me, even when there was nothing good to say, she's been honest but sensitive! Make sure you tell HIM that!" she said waving her hand contemptuously in the direction of Jack's office.

"I agree with my wife," added Peter quietly. Millie smiled at him. His meek endorsement somehow meant more to her than anyone else's.

Jo patted Millie on the back, "Don't think for a moment that I or the Super don't realise what a gem we have here in Millie. What you heard was just the usual police stuff. It wasn't a personal attack on Millie. It's just we have to concern ourselves with things like accountability…"

"But how can you tolerate anyone talking to someone like that!" Bern asked in disbelief.

Millie spoke up, "It's nice of you to stand up for me, but honestly, I wasn't in the least offended by what the Super said. You get used to it really. He is my superior officer and he is on the whole a reasonable man, so I don't really mind when he suggests ways in which I could improve my work performance. But it is only work performance, you understand. I'd be very annoyed if anyone made a personal attack like that on me!"

Their conversation was disturbed by a lot of noise and shouting, which seemed to coming from the front desk.

"Excuse me," said Jo to the Wards. "Millie, you take Mr. and Mrs. Ward to a room and give them the update, while I go see what's going on downstairs."

"Update," Bern said, looking at Millie with hope. "What update?"

"You remember PC Valentine? He was patrolling the area around the university tonight when he recognised the man that Peter identified as Bert. Bert handed himself in immediately and confessed to having taken Emily…"

"That's good, isn't it? He can tell us where Emily is!" exclaimed Bern.

"Yes. Apparently he's being completely cooperative. Though I must say," added Millie, wishing she could leave it at that, "I'm a bit concerned with all the kerfuffle in Custody. I hope it's nothing to do with Bert."

They heard the sound of heels running up the steps, and soon Jo was with them again.

"Millie, did you tell the Wards about Mr. Kelly's capture?" she asked.

"Yes she did. What's happening now? Have you found Emily?" demanded Bern desperately.

"Unfortunately it seems Mr. Kelly is a bit hysterical and the FME says he's not fit to interview tonight. But he swears Emily is safe and he would never have hurt her…"

"Oh, well that's reassuring! The man who took a less than three year old child away from her mother says he'd never hurt a child! Of all…" Bern was getting very worked up by this point. She started to make her way down the stairs, followed closely by Peter and an increasingly worried Millie and Jo.

As Bern made her way down the hall, the sound from the Custody area became louder. Bert had just come out of the seeing the FME, who had recommended he be given a sedative. Bern continued to follow the noise.

"Where is he?" she started to yell. "And where's Emily?"

The last thing she expected was a response to her question, but one came.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Ward. I've made sure Emily is safe. They made me do it, but I made sure she wouldn't get hurt. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

Bern was not a judgmental woman and understood well enough that people have failings, which is why she suddenly became a sobbing mass of conflicting feelings. She wanted to hate this man for taking Emily, but his despair and remorse had sounded so convincing, she started to soften. The words 'Love the sinner, but hate the sin' popped into her head. Then the strong pragmatic aspect of personality told her that this man needed to be calmed down before he could be of any use to them in returning Emily.

"I forgive you!" Bern yelled back through her tears, "Just help get her back to us, please!" She then sank to her knees on the floor and wept convulsively. Peter and Jo went to comfort her.

And at her words the yelling in Custody stopped.

"I'm going to ring Bern's obstetrician and see if she'll meet us," said Millie.

"Good thinking," replied Jo.

Max and Neil soon appeared and they helped Jo guide Mrs. Ward to the soft interview room while they waited for Millie to return from calling the doctor.

**Things that go Bump in the Night…**

Dr. Scott met them at the Wards' house and gave Bern a pregnancy-friendly sleeping pill to get her through the night. DI Manson had suggested perhaps Max stay at the Wards' as well as Millie, a suggestion that both he and Millie jumped at.

"It doesn't look like we'll get much out of Bert tonight, so the Wards may as well get their rest, and Millie should be with them. It doesn't hurt to have another set of police hands on deck either," Neil said.

"He definitely said 'hands on deck' with an 'e', didn't he?" Millie said out of the side of her mouth to Max as they walked away.

"That's not what I heard," said a wicked Max. "Anyway, I know what my police hands will be doing if I'm in bed with you."

Back at the Wards', once Bern was settled Max accompanied Millie to her sleeping quarters. He lay on the bed and watched her strip down to a singlet and panties.

"Is that as far as you're going?" he pouted.

"I see you're fully clothed still!" retorted Millie.

Max responded by jumping off the bed and removing every item of clothing he was wearing and throwing it on the floor.

"That better?" he asked in his best sleazy voice while tapping the bed and licking his lips.

"You'd be more convincing if you grew a greasy moustache," said Millie, climbing into the bed beside him. "But seriously, you should put something on. What if we have to get up during the night?"

"All right, I'll put something on after…"

"After what?"

Max nudged her cheek with his nose and raised and lowered his eyebrows meaningfully.

"You know!" he whispered.

"No, Max, no. We can't!"

"But it's been ages!"

"Only two days!"

"That's long enough. You are so mean to me! Why can't we?"

"For one thing, we are guests in the house of people whose only child has been kidnapped…"

"If we're quiet we won't wake them!"

"…and I've got my period…"

"Aw, but…"

"…and it's actually making me feel sick!"

"My poor love. Here, let me wub your tummy." Max started stroking Millie's belly in a circular motion.

"Wub? Did you say 'wub'? You're kidding me! Tell me you 'wuv' me and I swear I'm kicking you out of the bed!"

"Gee, you're a hard woman! I thought I was being sensitive!"

"Well, I'm sorry, whatever it is, it's a turn off!"

Max sighed. "All right, I get the message. I'll just do a quick inventory, then we can sleep."

"An inventory?"

"Yes, I need to check everything is just how I left it. Now, Millie's lovely, taut, queasy tummy seems all in order… if I just work my hands further north to breast country, though it's difficult because this singlet is rather tight, which is a great look I might add, especially without the bra…"

"Yes, yes, thanks. But I'm sorry. We really can't do this." Millie removed Max's hands, kissed him on the cheek and turned and lay down with her back to him.

"Can I hold you then?" Max asked.

"Cuddles are OK. JUST CUDDLES!" Millie added sternly.

"Fine," said Max snuggling into spoon position behind her.

He started with a hand draped innocently enough around her waist, but soon the hand was tempted to wander. Millie slapped it to halt its progress as it tried to make its way into the front of her pants, then removed it when it crept onto her breast. Millie rocked backwards and gave him an admonishing look.

"All right, just let me feel the other one, then I promise I'll stop," said Max sighing.

"Don't feign innocence with me, buddy. I can see, in fact I can feel, that your motivations are not exactly honourable. At least cover your shame with a sheet or something!"

"My shame? I am your husband! I have nothing to be ashamed of! I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't want to ravish you from dusk until dawn. And you know what, I know that no matter what you claim you love it too."

Millie turned herself round again and smiled at him as she reached up to pull his face towards her for a kiss. Max started working his lips around her neck and shoulders, and was happy to find that his hands had regained access to areas to which they had so recently been denied.

"It's still cuddles only," said Millie between kisses.

"Sure, honey," replied Max, not believing her for a second.

Just then, proceedings were brought to a not so grinding halt by the sound of a screech of brakes, followed by glass smashing and the sound of a car speeding off into the night. Max and Millie both jumped out of bed.

"I'll just go check that," said Millie, grabbing her robe and heading to the door.

"No, I'll go!" protested Max protectively.

"No, I'm not having you encountering Bern in the middle of the night like that!"

Max realised she had a point and started to search for his pants. "Millie, wait!" Max called after her realising that dressing was slowing him down. "It's not safe!"

"I'll be fine," she called back. "I'm a police officer you know!"

Millie slowly entered the front room, making sure that no one was there. Once she had confirmed this, she switched on the light. There was broken glass everywhere. She spotted a brick with something tied around it, and, not wanting to spoil any finger prints that may be on it, made her way to the kitchen to get rubber gloves before picking it up.

When she returned Bern, Peter and Max were all standing in the room. She was relieved to see Max's appearance was no longer so satyric as to be offensive to anyone. Bern certainly did look at Max, but rather than thinking how hunky he looked without a shirt, she simply wondered why he was wearing his wife's trousers.

Millie picked up the brick and carefully peeled off the note.

"Max," she said slowly. "Come look at this..."


	15. From Bad to Worse

**The Ransom Note**

Soon the Ward house and its surrounds were overrun with police and their entourage. Dr. Scott was once again called and Bern was sent off upstairs to bed, accompanied by Pete. There was now talk of putting Bern in hospital rather than allowing her to stay at home. Everything had suddenly gone from bad to worse.

Needless to say, the paper wrapped around the brick thrown through the front window was a ransom note, demanding the moneys owed by both Bert Kelly and Peter Ward. But the part of it that had proven too much for Bern was the revelation that Emily, although apparently very much alive, was now being directly threatened if payment was not made. And, to put fear into the heart of Bert Kelly, Mrs. Kelly's life was now at risk as well.

"So, Mrs. Kelly is Robert Kelly's foster mother, and he had taken Emily to stay with her, knowing she'd be safe and well taken care of there?" asked Max.

"Apparently so," replied Neil. "If only Bert Kelly were up to talking, he might be able to clarify things a bit more, or at least give us a hint as to where to start."

"Has Glenn McAdam said any more, Guv?" asked Millie.

"Oh, he's in a real panic now, but rather than being any use to us, he's running around saying this isn't his doing! But he refuses to give us his partner's name still. From what I gather, he's very afraid of him."

"Oh, great, so Emily's with a psycho," said Millie quietly so as not to be overheard by the Wards.

"Unfortunately, it would appear so. Max, what are you wearing? Harem pants?"

"Yeah, I put on Millie's trousers by mistake in the dark," admitted Max sulkily.

"Well can you go change? You're distracting Eddie from his work! You notice how he keeps sending people in to look at you!"

Max looked up to see Nate and Leon sticking their heads around the corner, walking out of the room again and laughing as much as they dared in a house with such a tragedy hanging over it. He needed no further persuading to return to their bedroom and retrieve his own clothes.

Neil's phone rang and he took the call. Once he had finished he hung up and shook his head.

"That was Jo. They just searched the address they had for Mrs. Kelly, and there's no one there. It did appear there had been a room set up for a child, however, so it's very likely whoever wrote the note was telling the truth when he said he had both her and Emily. Which is of course not something we really wanted confirmed."

"I'm not sure what to do about updating the Wards then," sighed Millie. "I don't think Bern can take much more at the moment. And we have to consider her unborn child. I suppose the best thing to do is consult with the doctor."

"Yes, I think you're right. Here's Max. You fill him in while I go and talk to Eddie."

Neil left the room and Max sat down and put his arm around Millie and kissed her hair. She told him what Jo had reported and he held her closer still. Millie was still dressed in her underwear and robe, and Max reflected on how sweet and girlish it made her look. He looked up to see Nate and Leon again, and suddenly wished Millie was rather less under-dressed.

"How you going Mill?" asked Nate kindly. "You want a cuppa or something?"

"Thanks Nate, but we're fine. Say, you two have put in a couple of long days!"

"Yeah, but you know, we all want to see the kid brought home. It's kind of hard to rest knowing she's still out there," said Leon.

Millie nodded sadly, and Max rubbed her arm and kissed her reassuringly again.

"Aww, sweet," said Nate to Leon as they left the room.

"So maybe DS Carter isn't just pure evil after all?" suggested Leon.

Nate pondered the idea, "Nah, I still think he is. He's doing it for the sex isn't he? And who can blame him. Millie does look rather cute dressed like that."

"Yeah. It's a bit different to the uniform, eh?" responded Leon with a wink.

"Still, I have to say the highlight of my evening was seeing Max in drag. Now there's a story to tell!"

"What's this?" came a throaty Yorkshire accented voice behind them. They hadn't noticed the Super walk in.

"Oh, nothing Sir. It's just when the window was broken Max accidentally put on Millie's trousers instead of his own…"

"All right, you two, I get the picture."

Jack continued on his way into the house. This case was really troubling him. First there was the incident with Peter nearly ruining their infiltration of that Maths group, and now apparently the SIO and FLO on the case were canoodling on the job! Jack shook his head. He had had his concerns about Millie and Max working together on the case ever since Max had explained how he and Millie interacted to the Borough Commander by basically telling a dirty joke! Then he, Jack, had had to explain the situation to the Borough Commander and justify his approving a married couple working so closely together. He had assured her they could be professional, but now he was beginning to doubt it.

He saw Max and Millie sitting together on the couch in the sitting room, behaving very much more like husband and wife than work mates, he noted, with Max with his arms draped around Millie, who was clearly in her night clothes. Time to give them a talking to.

"Max!" he barked as he entered the room. "What's this I hear about you fumbling in the dark and putting on Millie's clothes? Why weren't you wearing anything? We didn't send you here just so you could shag the missus in a different setting, you know!"

Max was angry, and speechless. Millie was even angrier, but much more in control of her tongue.

"With all due respect Sir..." she started. She was however cut off by Peter Ward, who suddenly appeared in the doorway, accompanied by Neil.

"Bern and I are both very happy with Millie, and with her husband. This is not a police station, this is my house. I am not going to let you upset Bern by telling Millie off again."

Jack was ashamed of himself for not considering Mrs. Ward's welfare above his own concerns about the case. "Sorry, Mr. Ward, we'll be out of your way soon. Come on Neil. Millie, Max, I'll talk to you two later, but in the meantime, go get some sleep."

Jack and Neil left the room. Peter Ward smiled at Max and Millie, then returned to his wife.

"Straight to sleep then?" asked Millie, once they were alone in their room again.

"Yeah," conceded Max. "Somehow all the forensic stuff happening around us is a little off putting."

**The Solicitor**

In the morning Bern was left in the capable hands of the staff at a hospital recommended by Dr. Scott, after which Millie and Max checked in at Sun Hill station. Parting with Bern, even temporarily, was hard for Millie at the moment, so the drive alone with Max helped towards steeling Millie for the challenges that the new developments in the case had presented.

Thankfully Bert Kelly had been deemed fit to be interviewed that morning. Neil Manson walked along with Max and Millie to the interview room, where they were to meet Bert and his solicitor.

Neil couldn't help but noticed the uncomfortable expression on Max's face when he saw the solicitor.

The attractive, well groomed, stylist brunette smiled at the sight of him. "Hello Max," she purred.

"Oh, hi," said Max, nervously looking over to his wife. Millie was regarding him with a raised eyebrow and a half smile.

Neil, who wore a similar look of amusement to Millie's held out his hand, "DI Neil Manson," he said.

The woman took his hand. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Eleni, Eleni Kaklikos."

"And this is PC Millie Brown," Max added.

Eleni nodded towards Millie as if this bit of information didn't interest her at all.

Millie decided this was war…

Max grew increasingly nervous…

Neil became increasingly amused. He broke the awkward silence that followed.

"Ms Kaklikos, if you and your client will follow me into the interview room,' he said ushering them in. "Now, DS Carter and PC Brown will be interviewing your client. I'm sure they'll be along in a moment."

Neil had made up his mind he was going to stand behind the safety of the glass to watch the show.

Millie came in close behind Max and whispered, "So when did you fuck her?"

Max knew there was no point denying it, "Oh about six months before we got together. It was just the once, after I interrogated a client of hers…"

"I see. Rather like today then?"

"I…guess," said Max uncertainly. Then something occurred to him. "Well, you slept with your kidnapper!" he retorted.

"Come on Max, we all know a lawyer is a lower form of life than a kidnapper!"

Max studied Millie's expression. He couldn't quite work out if she was upset or not.

"Look, are you OK with this? I can get Neil to sit in on the interview with you if you'd prefer?"

"Why, got something to hide?" said Millie, trying to sound nonchalant. "No honey, you're getting enough rope to hang yourself as far as I'm concerned."

Max knew he was supposed to believe that she was joking, but he was worried.

Millie completely trusted Max and had absolutely no fear that he would ever cheat on her. On the whole she was enjoying tormenting him, but there was no denying that she was feeling slightly threatened by this beautiful, self-assured and sophisticated woman.

Neil popped out of the room and beckoned them to enter. He stopped Millie on the way in.

"Millie," he said, "Max loves you, you know?"

Millie smiled in appreciation, but part of her wished he had just let her go into the room with Max. She didn't quite like leaving him unsupervised.

When she did go into the room, it was obvious that her desire to protect Max from this woman was well founded. Eleni was making it very clear that if the offer were made, she'd be up for a repeat performance. While Max got the room ready, Eleni sat there coiling a long lock of silky, jet-black hair around her finger, occasionally running her tongue across her full, red lips. Millie felt suddenly insipid and pale, and that every freckle on her face she had banished by strict sun-avoidance had once again burst its way back to the surface.

Max cast a concerned look over in Millie's direction as he sat himself down beside her.

"OK, interview commenced at 0830hrs, present are myself, DS Max Carter, PC Millie Brown, Robert Joseph Kelly and his solicitor, Eleni Kaklikos. Mr. Kelly, you have said to PC Roger Valentine that you were responsible for taking Emily Ward from the playground at Mill Meadows, is that correct."

Bert played with his fingers and nodded ashamedly.

"For the tape, please, Mr. Kelly."

"Um, uh, yes, I took Emily," Bert's voice was shaky.

"Mr. Kelly, PC Brown will now show you exhibit 2G, the ransom note delivered via brick to the home of Emily Ward's parents last night. You've read the note, what more can you tell us about it?"

Bert stared blankly at the table in front of him.

"Mr. Kelly, would you like to comment on the note?" Max was in full DS Carter mood and was giving Bert his best glare. "Mr. Kelly!" Max repeated.

At this point Eleni stepped in. She fixed her stare directly into Max's eyes, "DS Carter, I know you have a reputation for going in hard and fast, but bear in mind my client is in a very emotional state and has only just been deemed up to this. If you continue to harass him like this, I will have to stop the interview."

Millie sat and thought _Did she really say Max went in hard and fast? And did she mean it the way it sounded? _And she knew the answer to both was yes. This woman was making a blatant play for her husband! And Millie could see Max knew this too. He looked over to Millie to gauge her reaction.

DI Manson, who was watching from the viewing room, knew things had got to the point of no return when he saw Eleni's stilettoed foot make its way over towards Max's leg and start to stroke it.

Millie couldn't help but notice Max jump, and she knew straight away what had happened.

Neil had to admit he had it in mind to gain some entertainment from watching Max squirm in the presence of the two women, but actually watching the show, he couldn't see anything funny about it. Eleni had no shame, Max was uncomfortable and Millie, well, she looked like she was really hurt.

Max, Millie, and even Eleni were all professionals enough to get through the interrogation despite whatever they each were feeling. They established that Bert had taken Emily because Glenn McAdam and his partner (who was still only known as John) had said they would call off his debts if he did. They decided to kidnap Emily because John wasn't happy with the way Peter Ward had responded to their demands with complete indifference. Bert said he hated the idea of childnapping, but reasoned that if he could ensure that Emily was in a safe place, it wouldn't be so bad for her. Bert didn't think anyone would be able to make the connection between him and Mrs. Kelly, so he was completely taken aback when John had revealed to him the night before that he knew about Mrs. Kelly and that she was minding Emily.

"And now, not only have I hurt Emily, I've put Ma at risk too!" Bert started to cry again.

"I think my client needs a break now," said Eleni, looking across at Max as if challenging him. The foot moved under the table and onto Max's leg again.

Millie looked at Max and said, "Excuse me, Sir. If we're finished here…" and she got up and left the room.

"Interview suspended at 0915hrs, DS Carter and PC Brown leaving the room," said Max as he got up to go after her.

Eleni wondered why she had been so snubbed.

Soon Max was waiting for Millie outside the women's locker rooms, where she had hurried once the interview had finished. The realisation hit Millie that this woman had managed to apparently meet and seduce Max all in the space of one afternoon, a task that had taken Millie considerably longer. She had to find out why.

"You OK?" Max asked when she came out of the change rooms.

"Max, what is it about Eleni that made you want to sleep with her the first time you met her when it took you well over two years to consider sleeping with me?"

Max struggled to find an answer, "Um, I guess the fact that she was straight away offering but you and I had to work together."

Millie didn't meet his eye, "She's very sexy, isn't she?"

What else could Max say, "She's attractive, yes."

"I suppose she's the no strings type, not the kind to settle down?" suggested Millie.

"No, actually, I think she has a couple of kids," said Max, and immediately wished he hadn't handed in his gun when he left CO19, because he may as well just shoot himself now.

"Oh. So she's gorgeous, sexy, smart and fertile?" Millie said bitterly. She turned away from Max. "I think I'd better get to the hospital to see Bern now."

"Millie love, wait…" said Max, "You know I didn't mean it like that!"

Millie sighed and stopped walking. "Yes I do. Look, I know I'm being unreasonable. Just let me go for the moment, OK?"

Max had no choice but to do just that.


	16. Visitors & Phone Calls

**Female Bonding**

Bern had been having a very hard time of it, lying alone in her private room at the hospital, desperate for some sort of diversion. She knew everyone's intentions were good, but being isolated like this and not having anything to do just gave her mind time to think about things she'd rather be forgetting, such as Emily's current predicament. She closed her eyes and gulped back her tears. Where was Emily now? What was she feeling? Was Emily thinking that she, Bern, no longer loved her and had deliberately sent her away?

The last thought was too much for Bern to bear. _Well,_ she decided, _what the heck? Pete's not here, no one else is here. I may as well just let the tears come. _Bern turned her face towards her pillow and smothered the sound of her sobs. She could taste the hot saltiness of her tears as they dampened the pillow.

"My little girl! My poor little girl!" she moaned softly as she sobbed. She tried to make sure she wasn't making enough noise to attract anyone's attention to the fact that she was upset.

At the same time that Bern was crying into her pillow, Millie sat in her car in the hospital car park, drying her own tears. She felt ashamed of the way she had baited Max just before she left Sun Hill. After all, he may have slept with Eleni that time, but everything about his behaviour today said that he wasn't interested in her now. Millie looked at herself in the car mirror. _Enough of this, _she told herself_, you have a job to do. Bern needs you to be strong. _She blew her nose, made one final check of herself in the mirror and got out of the car.

Millie approached Bern's room quietly in case she was asleep. She saw Bern's sobbing form on the bed, and heard her muffled tears. For a moment she wasn't sure what she should do. She knew Bern was a proud woman, and might feel she was intruding. She paused in the door way, hesitant to take that next step.

Bern seemed to sense Millie's presence, and sprung up to see who was there.

"Oh Millie, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Come in." Bern wiped her nose and eyes and moved to sit up in the bed.

Millie walked into the room and sat on the bed, "Bern," she said, reaching out and taking Bern's hand in her own. "Listen to me. You have absolutely nothing to apologise to me for. Cry if you want to! Yell at me about how the police aren't doing enough to find your daughter! I'm here to support you, you know."

"Thanks Millie," said Bern. "But I do feel better after my moment of self pity. Do you have any news for me?"

"Not really. We spoke to Bert Kelly this morning. He didn't really tell us anything we didn't know. Just that he took Emily to his foster mother's place because it would mean she was protected and loved and well looked after. He told Mrs. Kelly Emily was his own daughter, and he'd only just found out about her existence. This Mrs. Kelly sounds like a fine woman too. We've spoken to Social Services, and it seems she's fostered children for many years, especially ones that are hard to place, you know, children with illnesses etc…"

"Children like my Emily," said Bern. "It's reassuring to know she's with this woman. I'm sure she'll do all she can to protect her."

"That's something, hey?" said Millie reassuringly.

Bern looked closely at her face. "Millie," she said, "What's wrong? You've been crying, haven't you?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry."

"No, I will worry. What's happened? Did that Meadows character yell at you again? Did you have a fight with Max? Tell me! You've seen me cry today, now it's your turn to let off steam."

Millie sighed. Why not tell Bern? She seemed to thrive on helping other people.

"Oh, it's just silly really. Bert's solicitor and Max shared an afternoon of passion the last time their paths crossed. Not that I don't trust him now, and he didn't actually seem at all tempted by her, but she made it very clear she wouldn't mind hooking up with him again. She even tried to play footsie with him! And she's absolutely gorgeous!"

Bern smiled. "You know, it's not like you're exactly a plain Jane yourself! I've seen you and Max together. I don't think other women even exist for him when you're around. He adores you!"

"Yeah, I know. But you should have seen this woman. She was Greek, and she was like a goddess. Masses of black hair, olive skin, the works! A great career. And she managed to seduce Max the first time she met him, and he and I knew each other for ages before I could even get him to look at me."

"This woman doesn't sound shy, and I'm sure her methods of seduction are a lot less subtle than any you would have employed when you first met Max. I'm sure if there were any spark still there, they could have met up any number of times if they'd wanted. But they didn't. Max obviously just never took her seriously, and from what I've seen, he's very serious about his adoration for you. But there's something else, isn't there?"

Millie thought how well Bern was beginning to read her. "Yes, there is. Not only is this woman seductive and gorgeous, she also apparently has children. And here I am…"

"... here you are wanting children but not pregnant yet. Remember that doesn't mean you'll never have them! Just keep trying for a little longer and see what happens. There's no need to give up on that dream yet!"

"I'm trying, I really am," replied Millie. "But sometimes...anyway, thanks for listening Bern. I know I just need a good face slapping sometimes. I just hope I didn't give poor Max too hard a time."

"I suspect Max might deserve a bit of a hard time every now and again!" replied Bern.

Millie was on the verge of agreeing with her when her mobile rang. She read the name on the screen.

"It's Max," she told Bern. "Excuse me a minute."

Millie went out into the corridor to take the call. She returned in a couple of minutes with a serious look on her face.

"Max had an update," she said. "Apparently Peter and Bert Kelly have had phonecalls from this John guy."

**The Hostages**

Mrs. Kelly awoke in the night after a couple of hours of hot and uncomfortable sleep on an old mattress on a hard floor. She felt stiff and aged. She looked at the little girl who was asleep beside her, oblivious to the fact that she should be at this very moment fearing for her life. But Emily was quite content. She seemed to feel quite secure as long as Mrs. Kelly was there, thankfully, and saw no reason for anything to prevent her getting a good night's sleep.

Mrs. Kelly tenderly brushed a lock of dark hair from the child's flushed cheek. How her mother must be missing her! In her absence, Mrs. Kelly was determined to love and protect the child as best she could. She reflected on how, only a few short hours ago, she had believed the girl was her own foster grandchild. What a slap in the face it had been to her when John had told her how things really stood!

"So, tell me, old woman, how did Bert persuade you to take care of the girl?"

"Bobby's like a son to me. When he asked me to take care of his daughter…"

"Daughter? His daughter? Is that what he told you?" John mocking, cruel laugh still rang in her ears.

"Yes, Emily is the daughter he just found out that he had…" Mrs. Kelly had tried desperately to cling to this belief.

"Well, I hate to be the one to tell you, but your Bobby is not quite the golden haired boy you think he is. Basically, he kidnapped Emily. He took her from a park, right under her parents' noses. And then, apparently, he lied to you! You know what this makes you, don't you? An accessory! Your Bobby boy has made you into a criminal. What do you think of that?"

There was that taunting laughter again. Mrs. Kelly had felt like such a fool. But she knew this evil man was telling the truth.

On reflection, she was still certain that her Bobby was a good boy underneath it all. Something terrible must have happened to him. This was the only reason he would even consider doing something so wicked!

Mrs. Kelly listened for signs of life outside of the room in which she and Emily were imprisoned. She was sure she could hear none. Maybe John had gone out and left them alone for a while? Maybe she could find a way out? Mrs. Kelly rose onto her hands and knees and crawled slowly through the darkness to the part of the room from which she saw light coming from below the door. She reached up and felt for the doorknob. It turned. But the door wouldn't open. It was most definitely locked. Mrs. Kelly sighed and crawled her way back to the mattress. Nothing else to do but try and get some sleep.

It was Emily's gentle chatting to herself that woke Mrs. Kelly from the most restful part of her fitful sleep early the next morning. Mrs. Kelly raised her head to see the little girl still lying happily in bed, holding Fifi out in front of her and making her bounce up and down. She reached out and stroked Emily's face.

"Morning Emily. Morning Fifi," she said. She attempted to prop herself up on her elbows, but she found she was even stiffer than she had been when she had woken earlier. Mrs. Kelly let Emily continue to talk to Fifi as she wearily stretched out each limb to gradually loosen her joints so she could get out of bed. She knew Emily must be hungry, and she had some fruit and bread in one of the bags she had grabbed on John's command.

Once she was standing, Mrs. Kelly searched the walls for a light switch. She figured opening a blind was not an option, as she could just imagine John's rage if they exposed themselves to the outside world in such a way. She was actually beginning to have second thoughts about turning on a light. Then she noticed a small lamp on a table and walked over to see if it was working. Luckily it was.

Emily and Mrs. Kelly were sitting on the floor eating bananas and bread when John opened the door to check on his hostages. It appeared he was in one of his charming moods this morning.

"Good morning Mrs. Kelly, Emily. Hope you both slept well. Now, I had hoped you would be coming out to dine with me this morning. I have the kettle on."

Mrs. Kelly decided it was best to respond positively to his good mood.

"Good morning. A cup of tea sounds lovely! Come on Emily," she said holding out her hand to the child.

Emily ignored her, so John decided to step in.

"Come with me, Emily," he said picking her up. Mrs. Kelly worried what he might do if Emily acted up, but thankfully she didn't.

The three of them moved into the kitchen. Mrs. Kelly presumed John let them sit here because it was at the back of the house and looked out onto a small, enclosed back garden that seemed to be surrounded by trees. She hoped this meant he would let them stay here, rather than keeping them cooped up in their miserable little bedroom.

"It seems like a lovely day today. Maybe we can play outside soon. Would you like that Emily?" John asked.

Emily didn't acknowledge him and Mrs. Kelly was concerned by the look on John's face. "You realise she is autistic and doesn't speak?" she said.

John's smile returned. "Thank you for reminding me, I had forgotten. Now, would you like another cup of tea, Mrs. Kelly?"

"I would. I can make one for us both if you like," she suggested.

"That sounds lovely! Thank you!"

Mrs. Kelly got up to make the tea and kept an eye on John while she did so. This man really worried her. He sat there like a rat in a cage, always on edge, ready to react. She could see that his behaviour was likely to go from saccharine sweetness to menace at the drop of a hat. She would have to work very hard to keep him pacified, she could see that. It was a good thing Emily wasn't the type of child to make a lot of noise.

She brought the tea to the table and sat down with a smile.

John took a sip of his tea, "Excellent!" he said appreciatively. "Now, I have something for you to do this morning."

"Oh yes?" said Mrs. Kelly, hoping he didn't sense the fear these words made her feel.

"I need you to ring Emily's parents and your foster son. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, of course. What do you want me to say?"

"Hmm, let me think. Tell them that you and Emily are alive and well, but that I've got a gun. Oh, and add that you've seen the gun so they know I'm not bluffing. Then say something like, 'please give him his money, or he will kill us'. Then I'll cock the trigger so they can hear it, and perhaps at that point you could sound panicky, you know beg a little. How does that sound?"

"I'm willing to do whatever you say," replied Mrs. Kelly simply.

"There, that's what I like to hear! Now, what time is it? Peter Ward should be at work now. Let's ring him there."

John punched in the number.

"Hello," came Peter's voice, sounding slightly impatient. Terry and Stevie were in his office asking him questions again, and this was throwing his routine out.

"Hello Peter, it's John. How are you?" Mrs. Kelly found the wide smile on John's face sickening.

"Where's my daughter! What have you done to her!"

Stevie and Terry jumped up at these words and tried to calm Peter down. Stevie pushed the speaker button on the phone.

"It seems speaking to me upsets you, my friend. Here, someone else wants to speak with you."

John handed Mrs. Kelly the phone. In order to keep herself steady, she looked over at Emily. _You have to do it for her sake, _she repeated over and over in her head.

"Mr. Ward, my name's Frances Kelly. I'm looking after Emily at the moment. Don't worry, I'm doing everything I can to make her feel comfortable. She's fine and happy." John was gesturing with his hands, urging her to get to the point. "Anyway, John has asked me to tell you that he wants his money. Oh, and he has a gun, I've seen it…"

"I think you need to sound a bit more desperate," hissed John. He pointed the gun at Emily.

"Oh God! No! Don't! Please! Mr. Ward, please get that money now! He has a gun and he's, um..." she didn't want worry Peter by saying John was directly threatening Emily, so she struggled with how to put it, "…he's obviously not afraid to use it. Tell Bobby…"

John snatched the phone off her. "You have until tomorrow night to pay up. I'll be in touch."

He hung up and looked at Mrs. Kelly. "There," he said calmly. "That went well. Now, time to ring Bert."

At Peter's office, while Stevie worked to keep Peter calm, Terry had rung Neil to tell him about the call. By the time John's call to Bert Kelly came through, Neil, Max, Eleni and Bert were in a room, ready to receive and monitor the call.

On hearing his foster mother's distressed voice, Bert Kelly fell to pieces again and started sobbing into his hands.

Neil looked across at Max, "We'd better update Millie. Max, do you want to do that?"

"Of course. I wanted to check how she was going anyway. She's my wife, you know," Max directed this to Eleni.

"Ah," said Eleni. This explained Max's apparent snubbing of her earlier.

Max left the room and went to call Millie. He was amazed at how happy and proud declaring himself 'off the market' made him feel.


	17. Awkward Situations

**At Sun Hill**

Millie was called back to Sun Hill station for a briefing regarding the new developments in the case. Although the safety of Emily and Mrs. Kelly and the welfare of Bern and Pete weighed heavily on her, her discussion with Bern about Max and Eleni had at least lifted that concern from her mind. She was determined to corner Max in a quiet place as soon as possible and give him a big hug and kiss.

She saw Eleni making her way out of the building. The two women acknowledged each other with a smile.

"Patsavoura," Millie muttered under her breath.

On her way to the briefing, she found herself walking behind Stevie and Jo, who were probably headed in the same direction as she was. She couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Who was that dark-haired woman in reception before? She looked familiar," asked Jo.

"How could you forget? That was Eleni Kaklikos. The last time she was in here, you remember, her and Max…"

"Ah, of course! She's that solicitor! I remember you and Terry telling me! She and Max sitting either side of the table in the interview room, eyeing each other off…"

"God, it was worse than that! It was like lust at first sight! Really, it was embarrassing to be in the same room with them! It was like they were about to pounce at each other across the table! As soon as that interview was over, remember, Max suspiciously disappeared for an hour or two…"

"…and came back looking rather pleased with himself, if I remember. Hey Terry!" Jo called to Terry, who was standing outside the briefing room. "Remember that time Max and that solicitor snuck off for…"

"Hi Millie," said Terry, who was facing in the opposite direction to the girls and saw Millie walking behind them.

Jo and Stevie looked at each other, shamefaced.

"Hey Millie," said Stevie, rubbing Millie's arm, hoping she hadn't heard anything. "How are you?"

"Fine," was the only reply Millie could muster. She avoided their eyes and went straight into the room.

"Oops," said Jo. It was in Jo's nature to tease, but she would never deliberately set out to hurt.

"How could you not know she was there?" asked Terry.

"I don't know, we were just enjoying ourselves too much," replied Stevie.

"Hey guys," said Max brightly.

"Tell him what you've done," said Terry sternly.

"Max, we're sorry, but we were talking about you and that Greek solicitor, and how hot you were for each other, and we didn't realise Millie was walking behind us…"

Max just glared at them and walked into the room. He saw Millie sitting with some of her Uniform colleagues in the corner. She was clearly avoiding looking at him.

_Great,_ he thought. He was trying to think of what he could do. But there was no time. It would have to wait until after the briefing_._

Neil Manson and Jack Meadows entered the room and closed the door. Max briefly updated everyone about the phone calls, and John's demands for the payments to be made by the end of the next day.

"How did the hostages sound?" asked Roger.

"We didn't hear Emily, but Frances Kelly sounded clearly panicked. As for John, well he sounds rather temperamental," said Max.

"Given both Bert Kelly and Glenn McAdams reluctance to cross John to save their own skins, we're getting the impression that he's a volatile, violent man. So, we have to take care not to do anything that's going to send him over the edge and potentially lash out at his hostages," continued Neil.

"We've had no indication yet that John is aware of Glenn or Bert's capture?" asked Jack.

"Possibly of Glenn's, but it's doubtful he's heard about Bert," replied Max.

"Right then, we'd better make sure Bert Kelly and his phone are kept close together in case John tried to call again. Millie, you'd better get back to the Ward house in case this John tries to contact the Wards again there. I think you'd better put in another night there. You'd better have someone there with you. Leon, Nate, either of you willing to take that job on?"

Max's ears pricked up at this suggestion. It was one he didn't think much of.

"Sure," Leon said. Nate nodded.

Max was distressed to see Leon catch Millie's eye and smile. He was even more upset to see Millie smile back.

"OK, we'll sort out the details of those arrangements later," said Neil, who had already determined to have a word about this to the Super on the quiet. He felt Max and Millie's relationship had been tested enough for one day.

"Thanks everyone," said Jack, making his way out. Neil followed close behind.

Everyone made their way out of the room, but Max waited in the hope of catching Millie.

Leon wondered if it was an accident, or if DS Carter had actually meant to bump into his arm so hard as he passed him on his way out.

"You looked happy at the prospect of a night with Leon or Nate!" observed Max when he reached Millie. "What's that about?"

Millie face broke into a smile. They were both jealous! How sweet!

"You have to admit it sounds like fun. Picture it, me and one of the boys, possibly both, sitting up eating pop corn and watching a romantic movie in our pyjamas. Maybe sharing a glass of wine, maybe giving each other a bit of a massage to ease off the work day tension. Drunkenly stumbling off to bed, you know 'Oh dear, I seem to have ended up in the wrong room'..."

"You have your evening all planned don't you? Are we temporarily suspending our marriage vows then? Great, let me think who I can invite over..."

"Hang on, did the Super say where you had to spend the night?" she asked. "On second thoughts, unless he gives you other orders, you're with me babe. Leon or Nate can just be there to keep you in line, if you know what I mean."

"Uh uh," said Max. "If they're there, I'm going to fuck you as loudly as I can to bring home to them that you're all mine! I saw Leon smile at you!"

"Leon's my friend, Max," said Millie with a smile, straightening the collar of his shirt. "Anyway, I heard some pretty interesting things about you and Eleni from Stevie and Jo."

"Like what?"

"How you were about to rip each other's clothes off during the interrogation. How you left and returned to work looking like the cat that got the cream."

Max put his arms around her, "Well I've decided I've had enough years of pointless sex. Now that I've experienced the best, that's all I want. And do you know who the best is?"

"You'd better tell me," said Millie with a pout, enjoying his babying.

"The best is you." He playfully tweaked her nose.

"And Eleni?"

"Attractive enough, of course. But all she ever was was a…" Max searched for the right words, "… a place to stick my..."

"I am going to have to start wearing a bell around my neck!" declared Neil Manson dryly, as he once again walked in on Millie and Max in the middle of something he really didn't want to witness.

"Sorry Sir," said Max, who was thinking that if he were to be caught being crude, why couldn't it be one of those times when he was articulate about it?

Millie chuckled. Poor Max! Every time he tried to do something a bit naughty, he seemed to get caught! As she remembered the old, arrogant DS Carter only too well, she couldn't help but feel sometimes that this was karma.

"I spoke to the Super and we discussed how having strangers in the house overnight might not be the best thing for Peter Ward, so Max, if you can stay there again with Millie?"

"Sure, Guv," said Max. "Thanks."

Neil smiled and left them alone again. He knew Millie would be leaving soon, and he'd had as much exposure to their intimacy in recent times as he could stomach.

"Every get the impression the DI is trying to set us up?" asked Millie. "He's just arranged an overnight tryst for us."

"What, you think he's a bit of a romantic?"

"Either that, or a bit of a pervert!"

**John and Emily**

After breakfast and the phone calls, John calmed down again and decided to allow Emily and Mrs. Kelly to play outside in the enclosed back garden. He sat himself down on a garden seat to keep an eye on them while he considered what his next step would be.

He was pleased with the way the phone calls had gone. Peter Ward seemed to be taking him seriously at last. And Bert, well, he was really cracking up. John reflected on how being in possession of a conscience made one an easy target for manipulation. Bert felt guilty and was therefore willing to do whatever it took to make things right again. John put his hand behind his head and smiled with satisfaction. Everything really seemed to be falling into place.

John stood up and threw the ball to Emily. The little girl didn't catch it, but scooped it up and clumsily threw it back at him.

"Well done, Emily!" said Mrs. Kelly encouragingly.

"Not very good, is she?" said John.

"No, but she is young. And having ASD, she can be a bit uncoordinated, or just not interested in what you want her to do."

"Well her father's a strange man. You sure it's not just a family thing?"

"Oh well, I know nothing about her father," said Mrs. Kelly sadly. Not so long ago, she had thought Emily associated Bobby with the word Daddy. Now she had to try and put some unknown man into that role.

"He's a mathematician. Obsessed with numbers, he is,"

"Well, that can be an ASD thing," Mrs. Kelly conceded. _Poor man must be missing this little miss dreadfully._

While the two adults conversed, Emily drifted off into her own little world. She walked around in circles, staring at her hands. Then she started to screech loudly.

"What the fuck is she doing now?" yelled a startled John.

"It's just one of her things. Don't worry, she'll stop soon. Come on Emily, play with the ball."

Emily kept screeching and looking at her hand.

"Shut her up! Shut her the fuck up! We can't have her drawing attention to us!"

Mrs. Kelly reflected that his yelling was more likely to attract the neighbours than the sound of a child making a bit of noise. But she knew she had to do something before John did something drastic.

"OK, Emily and I will go inside now. Maybe we will go to our room for a while. Come on Emily."

Mrs. Kelly picked Emily up and carried her inside. Without pausing she led the child straight to their darkened room.

John followed her and was about to slam the door after them when Mrs. Kelly said, "Can we have that portable tv in here? That will keep her quiet."

John opened the door and let the old woman grab the television. It was heavy and she struggled, but he wasn't inclined to help her.

Mrs. Kelly plugged in the television and sat with a now quiet Emily in her lap. She stroked the child's hair and prayed that John's patience would hold out long enough for her and Emily to be free.

John was annoyed. He went back outside and fumed. This was no good. He didn't really care about the woman and the child, but he wasn't that keen on killing them either. But if the little girl was going to scream and carrying on like that, what else could he do? Even if it weren't for the fact she would draw attention to them, it was bloody annoying, and he simply couldn't stand it. Anyway, a kid like that was obviously not right. It was almost like it would be a mercy killing.

But, first things first. It might not come to that. The old woman had managed to calm her down and all was well again. Lucky she was here to babysit really. Bert wasn't so stupid after all. Speaking of Bert, he really had to think of a way to get that money off him. Where would they meet? Would it be a straight exchange: the old woman for the money? And what about Ward?

John had told them they had until tomorrow. What to do in the meantime? Should he just lay low, or should he stir them up a bit more? What other ways could he prove that he meant business? Another phone call perhaps? Or maybe silence would get to them more?

Anyway, enough sitting around doing nothing. He had a life to lead. John went back into the house. He paused in the kitchen, and took some bread and a few other food items out of the fridge. He opened the door to the room which held Mrs. Kelly and Emily and put the food in it, without a word.

Mrs. Kelly then heard the key turn in the lock of their room, footsteps, and then a slamming door. She breathed a sigh of relief. They were alone in the house again, and safe. At least for now.


	18. Children etc

**The Ultrasound**

Millie had never witnessed an ultrasound of a baby before, and she thought it was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen.

When she returned to the hospital after making up with Max, she discovered they were giving Bern a check up. With Peter at work, Bern was going to be alone for the ultrasound that the doctor had recommended to double check everything was OK. Partly for herself and partly because she thought Millie, as a potential mother, might find it interesting, Bern asked Millie if she wanted to come along. Dr. Scott said she was more than welcome, and Millie, despite her trepidation, was curious to get a preview of what expectant mothers went through. So there she was, sitting on a chair beside Bern, who was lying down and getting gel smeared on her belly.

"OK, now, let's find baby's heartbeat…"

Millie made a silent prayer as she waited for the heartbeat to be located. It didn't take very long to find, but nevertheless she sighed with relief when a rapid thumping sound was heard.

"That's good and steady," said the doctor reassuringly.

Then the screen went on and the operator probed Bern's stomach until what was very definitely a little person came into view. Bern smiled lovingly at the image of her new baby, and then looked over at Millie and saw her expression of awe.

"So, is my baby beautiful?" she asked Millie.

"Oh, it's amazing. Look at it move! It's so, so... human!"

"Do you want me to get it to turn so you can see it from another angle?" asked the radiographer.

"No, don't disturb it. Just let it keep doing what it's doing," said Millie, scared at what too much poking and prodding of the foetus could do.

"Now, there's a little foot…one...two…three…four…five toes on that foot, come on darling, show us the other one, great, five there as well!"

Millie watched in amazement as each part of the baby's body was checked over. Its tiny arms, hands and fingers were examined, and the baby was made to lie on its side so its hips could be examine. Every angle seemed a new marvel to Millie. And throughout, the baby moved contentedly, not seeming to care about the intruders into its private world.

"Now, let's have a look at its face…"

"Look, it opened its mouth!" said Millie excitedly.

"See, it's taking a drink. Did you see it gulping?" The radiographer did this sort of thing everyday, but she still loved to watch the looks of wonder on the faces of the uninitiated.

Millie took Bern's hand. "Bern, it's just so perfect. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" She squinted to see if she could work out this detail for herself. But she couldn't.

"Yes, but that's Peter and my secret, sorry."

"That's fine. Just asking."

"OK, Mrs. Ward, we're finished here. Everything looks fine. I'll get someone to take you back to your room."

Millie made her way out to wait while Bern was wheeled to her room. She was thinking excitedly about describing all this to Max later.

"So, have they said how long they're keeping you here?" Millie asked once they were settled back in Bern's room.

Bern rolled her eyes, "Dr. Scott wants me here at least until Emily's released, and maybe after that. She's concerned about the shock to the system my joy at her return may cause, believe it or not!" Bern didn't mention what would happen if Emily wasn't released. She couldn't bear to think about that.

"Well, Max and I will be staying with Peter again tonight, so don't concern yourself about that…"

"In case there are any more bricks or phone calls?"

"Well, yes."

"Every sorted between you and Max again?"

"Yes, we kissed and made up."

"Is Max going to forgo the cross dressing tonight?"

"He's never going to live that down, is he?"

"I doubt it. It was pretty funny. Look, I'm getting a bit tired now. Do you mind…"

"No, that's fine. I've got a few things to do at the station before heading to your place anyway. And you know how to get me if you need me."

"I do, Millie, thanks. And thanks for sharing the ultrasound with me. I, I really didn't feel up to doing that alone today somehow. I hope it wasn't too hard on you, because of, you know."

"No, it was fine. It just made me realise once again how much I want to have that happen to me."

"I hope you don't feel I was pressuring you. It occurred to me afterwards perhaps I was being a bit insensitive."

"No, not at all! In fact, I think it's renewed my hope."

"That's the spirit. See you tomorrow, Millie."

"See you Bern."

Millie gave Max a call as she walked to the car, asking him if it were all right for them to meet at the station and head off to the Wards' together. She didn't mention about the ultrasound. She wanted to tell him all about that face to face.

As the two women had discussed, seeing Bern's yet-to-be-born baby had got Millie's mind working on her own desires to get pregnant. If only the whole process wasn't becoming so disheartening! She was half way through her period now, and soon it would be time to be buying ovulation tests, taking temperatures, checking mucus etc etc. Could she really stand going through all that again if nothing happened?

Millie smiled to herself when she thought how if it weren't for Max and the way he tried to make it all fun, she would really be going insane about it. Max would soon be making jokes about how she treated him like a sex slave and that she only loved him for his sperm. She could picture how, when she told him the timing was right, he would lie back on the bed, open up his arms and say, with the air of a martyr, "OK, if we _really_ have to!". When she thought about it, she had a completely one tracked mind during her fertile period, and it mustn't be pleasant to live with. She knew there was a part of her that, when she was feeling particularly despondent about it all, would try to push Max away. Logical Millie reasoned that this was probably some sort of test she subconsciously set up for him when she was feeling like a failure herself. And Max put up with it. But would he still if they were not pregnant after, say, another year of trying? There was always this fear in Millie that if she were disappointing herself, she must be a disappointment to Max as well.

From Max's perspective, the thought of Millie being a disappointment to him had never entered his head. Whether or not they ever had children didn't really bother Max, as long as he had Millie and she was happy. However, since their discussions with Dr. Scott, a new fear had been planted into Max's mind. What if the reason they hadn't conceived yet was nothing to do with Millie, but was down to him? Looking back over his sex life, he reflected on the number of times he had had unprotected sex. And had any of these times resulted in pregnancy? To the best of his knowledge, no.

This led Max on to another idea, one that frightened him even more than the thought of being sterile: maybe he should just go have that test Dr. Scott mentioned? No need to tell Millie about it, knowing that there were results pending would only worry her. He would be the one doing the nail biting waiting for the tests outcome, but didn't he love Millie enough to suffer in silence for her sake? He knew he did. He sighed and decided he would ring Dr. Scott's clinic if he got a chance this afternoon.

**The Captives**

Mrs. Kelly really wished John would return soon. Didn't he understand that women of her age didn't cope very well without regular toilet visits? She was beginning to wish Emily's nappies were big enough to fit her. Well, on second thoughts, she decided she really wouldn't find that comfortable, but she was an old woman and it had been hours since she been able to relieve her bladder. It was really getting the stage that something had to be done very, very soon.

Emily sat in front of the television, eating a banana. She had been quiet since she upset John earlier, content just to walk around and watch television, or even treat Mrs. Kelly to a cuddle. Mrs. Kelly was surprised by this, because her impression was that ASD kids were aloof, but Emily seemed to like nothing better than to snuggle into her bosom and wrap her little arms around Mrs. Kelly as far as they would go. Mrs. Kelly took this to mean she was missing her mother.

It was getting towards evening, and Mrs. Kelly decided she couldn't take it any longer. She made her way over to the door and turned the handle. The door was definitely locked. She listened carefully, but there was no indication that John was anywhere around the house. Perhaps she could have a look around? She put her eye to the key hole, and could see nothing. This was a surprise! It was getting dark, but there should surely be some trace of light at least. Hope sprang into Mrs. Kelly's heart. Perhaps the key was in the lock?

Mrs. Kelly looked around the room for something long and slender. She managed to find a ballpoint pen. Next, she searched for a strong piece of paper. She returned to the door and checked out the space between the bottom of the door and the floor. She smiled. Everything seemed to be working in her favour.

Mrs. Kelly removed the plastic case from the pen and slid the paper under the door. She carefully pushed the ink cartridge into the lock. She heard the sound of the key falling to the floor and checked the lock again. This time it was empty. She slowly pulled the paper back under the door towards her.

She picked up the key and let out a sigh of relief. She smiled to herself as she thought how all those years of watching crime shows had finally paid off!

She turned the key in the lock and cautiously opened the door. First things first. She went straight to the bathroom. When she came out she looked around the house to make sure John wasn't there. There was definitely no sign of him. It was now 7 pm.

Emily needed dinner and she herself needed food or at least a cup of tea. Dare she take advantage of her temporary freedom? How would John react if he came home and found them loose?

She decided to take the risk. After all, Emily would need to sleep soon and she shouldn't go to bed hungry.

Mrs. Kelly steamed some veggies, found a tin of tuna and made a cheese sauce. She mixed them all together and took them back into the room. There was no need for them to sit at the table and be out of their prison any longer than necessary, she reasoned. She let Emily stretch her legs in the kitchen and meal area while she sat and had her tea. Emily was enjoying running around the room, babbling to herself and studying her hands. Mrs. Kelly closed her eyes and gave a prayer of thanks that John had not come home.

While she drank her tea and watched Emily play, Mrs. Kelly contemplated whether or not to take this opportunity to grab the child and run. There was every reason to think this might be their only chance, that John would be back soon and possibly in a bad mood. But then, how could she, an old woman, make her way through unknown streets to safety? She couldn't carry Emily for long, and Emily was not obedient. She could run or she could make noise at the wrong moment. What good would it be liberating Emily only to have her run out in front of a car or something? Mrs. Kelly simply didn't think she was up to such a daring plan. And deep inside her, she didn't see the need to make a bold escape, because despite all he'd done and despite the fact he probably didn't know where they were, Mrs. Kelly was convinced that her Bobby would be turning up soon to release them.

Once she had cleaned up and taken one final trip to the toilet, she knew it was time to coax Emily back into the room. She held out her hands to Emily and led her back . She turned the key in lock, then removed it and slipped it under the door. She made sure it was within reach in case she needed to reclaim it. If John asked, she would just say that Emily had run into the door and maybe dislodged it.

After their meal was finished, she changed Emily, and put her in bed. Soon she had turned off the light and drifted off herself. She slept so soundly she didn't noticed that as the dawn drew near, John had still not returned.


	19. The Mallie Morning

**Off to Work**

Max was woken early the next morning by the sound of what he presumed was Peter getting ready for work in the kitchen. Lucky he and Millie hadn't had wild sex last night, he reflected, because the walls in this house were apparently paper thin enough for him to be hearing the boiling of the kettle and the scraping of a knife against toast. Max was even now worried about moving, for fear Peter would hear the creak of the bed and think he and Millie were up to something.

Millie was still sleeping soundly. Max looked at her as she lay contentedly in the crook of his arm. It had been a warm night, and she had kicked the covers off, so her long, bare legs were expose up to those very modest black undies she had worn to bed. As usual she had kicked the covers over on to him. No wonder he had felt overheated.

Max gently lifted Millie's upper half so he could free the arm she had pinned. But he didn't succeed in not waking her. Millie opened her eyes to see her naked husband scrambling on the floor, most likely searching for the boxer shorts he had promised to wear but had obviously discarded during the night. And now, she guess by his furtive movements, here he was trying to replace them before she caught him without them. The opportunity to catch him by surprise was too good to miss.

"Phwwooarrr!" she said loudly at his sight of still naked form.

Her exclamation was completely unanticipated by Max, who jumped and managed to stub his toe on a chair. He hopped around rubbing his foot and resisting the urge to yell out in pain.

Meanwhile, his cruel wife was resisting the urge to burst out laughing. But she managed to keep a straight face.

"Well good morning, DS Carter," she said sweetly. "Has the great detective managed to find his underpants yet?"

"Good morning Mrs. Carter," her husband replied. "Perhaps if you kept a neater room, like a good wife should, they wouldn't be so hard to - oww, did you just throw something at me?"

"Me, why of course not!" There was nothing wrong with putting Max's warrant card nearer his clothes on the floor, surely!

"Liar!" said Max, as he returned to the bed and smooched his way up to her face by way of her body. Their lips met, and they kissed tenderly.

"God, I can't wait to get home, where we don't have to stop there," said Max.

"Hmph, and I thought you wanted to get home so you could shower me with gifts on my birthday!" retorted Millie, rolling Max off her and then dragging herself out of the bed. "So, no phone call or anything from our John Doe hey?"

A now semi-dressed Max shrugged, "Not that I heard, and I'm sure we would have heard. You go shower and I'll talk to Peter. Unless you need me to help you in there? I hear that soap can be pretty slippery…"

"I'll be fine. Have you checked you've got the right pants?"

Max gave his wife's bottom a good sound slap.

"Work mode now, and I'm your superior officer. Remember that," he said as he walked off.

"Oh right, that explains the arse slapping then…" Millie smirked, as she continued to get herself organised.

Peter Ward was sitting eating his toast and drinking his tea when Max walked in. He indicated the kettle and toaster as an invitation for Max to help himself.

"How did you sleep?" Peter asked. "It was a very warm night."

"We slept fine despite that," replied Max, taking out cups for him and Millie and putting coffee and sugar in them.

"Not having a brick throw the window of course made it easier to sleep. And I guess we were all tired last night from having our night disturbed by that the night before," said Peter logically.

"Yeah, and no phone calls either," said Max as he put four slices of bread in the toaster.

"Maybe they'll call me at work again?" suggested Peter. "Speaking of which, I'd better go or I'll be late. I presume DS Moss and DC Perkins will be there," he added with a sigh.

"Them, or some other officers. In fact, I should ring the station and see if there are any updates. If you wait, I can let you know who'll be there."

Peter shook his head. "No thanks, I'm late already. And I'll find out soon enough." He got up and left the room.

Max was on the phone with Neil Manson by the time Millie entered the room and finished off making their coffee and toast. Neil reported that no call had come through for Bert overnight either.

"What's the story Guv?" asked Max. "This John character's playing it a bit cool, isn't he?"

"Yeah, and it worries me. He expects his money by the end of today, and we've had no indication of exactly where or when this money is to change hands. And what about Frances Kelly and Emily Ward? What's happened to them in the space of this last twenty-four hours?"

"Let's hope 'nothing' is the answer to that one," said Max as he hung up. For Mrs. Kelly and Emily's sakes. For Bern and Peter's sakes. And of course for Millie's sake. If anything happened, how would Millie cope with her friend's grief? How would she cope with what he knew she would see as her failure to protect the family? As if this baby making business weren't enough of a strain on her already. The last thing she needed was for this case to have a bad outcome.

Millie sat down to her toast and coffee. "So, what's our plan?"

Max walked up behind her and slid his arms around her shoulders. He started to work his mouth around the back of her neck. "Well, Peter's gone now. We're here all alone…"

Millie slapped his hand and gave him a stern look. "Seriously, what's the plan?"

Max sighed and released her. "Well, it depends when you want to see Bern I guess. We've only got one car. So either you drop me at the station, or I drop you at the hospital."

"I'll give the hospital a call then, see what's happening."

Max ate his toast and had a quick glance at the paper while he waited. But Millie's call didn't take long.

"Well," she said, "it seems that Bern wants to spend the morning resting, so I'm not needed there until lunchtime."

"OK, so will we just go to the station together then?"

"Yeah. Just give me five minutes."

Soon Max and Millie were in the car on their way to Sun Hill station.

Millie glanced over at her husband as he drove and thought about how much she loved him, and had several other somewhat less pure thoughts. True, the last few nights they had slept with their arms wrapped around each other, but now she was really craving more. Then a plan hatched in her head. She smiled at her ingenuity.

When they got to the station, Millie stayed downstairs while Max headed up to CID. He had two major preoccupations: one being what was going to happen with Emily and the other being the call he had decided he would make to Dr. Scott's rooms to see about that test.

There were too many people in CID for him to discretely make the call from his own desk, so he grabbed Dr. Scott's number from the case file and went off to find an empty room.

He dialed the number, and sat tapping his fingers impatiently while he waited for someone to answer.

He figured he may as well use his position as a police officer to speak to the woman herself, rather than going through the receptionist. The receptionist put him through to Dr. Scott.

"Arabella Scott speaking."

"Dr. Scott, this is DS Carter, we met the other day at the Wards' house."

"Carter? Oh, I thought your name was Brown."

"No, that's my wife's name."

"I see. Anyway, your wife has already called here today…"

"Yes, I know. This was, um, actually about a matter a bit closer to home."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, um, you remember how we discussed a test I could have…"

Dr. Scott smiled, thinking about Max's reaction the last time this was mentioned. "Yes?"

"Well, I thought perhaps I could have it, you know, without telling Millie, so she doesn't have the worry of waiting for the results…"

"What a lovely gesture, Mr. Carter! We'll get you in as soon as possible. Do you mind holding while I explain the situation to the receptionist, and then you can arrange a time with her?"

"Great, thanks doctor."

The receptionist didn't take long to answer. "How does 11am tomorrow sound, Mr. Carter?"

"Fine," Max answered.

"And by the way, it's best if you don't have too many days of, er, build up, if you know what I mean. Otherwise the test's all about quantity, rather than quality."

"Oh, OK. Thanks for that."

"See you tomorrow, sir."

So, the appointment had been made. And now Max had two new problems: how to off load his 'build up' and what to tell the DI he about his absence tomorrow...

There was a knock on the door, and Millie entered. It was time for her to enact her plan.

"Max," she said, sitting on the desk in front of him. "I was thinking, I probably should collect a few things from home, just in case I have to camp out a bit longer at Bern's"

Max smiled. _Opportunity knocks!_ he thought to himself. Nothing like some alone time in the marital home to facilitate a little lovin'. "Sure. Do you want me to drive you there?"

"I guess that makes sense, doesn't it? Maybe we can go late in the morning, on the way to the hospital."

"OK."

Max decided he'd better start revving the little woman up a bit to get her in an amorous mood by the time they arrived home. He manoeuvered his way between he legs as she sat on the table, then stood up and kissed her. She reciprocated by wrapping her legs tightly around him.

The door, which Millie had not shut properly, swung open.

"Oh, for the love of…" swore Neil Manson.

"Sorry Sir," said Max, as he and Millie jumped apart.

"What, do you two say, 'quick here comes DI Manson, let's start snogging?' or something?" the DI continued to grumble. "Anyway, it's not as if you've even been separated!"

"We know, we're sorry," said Millie. "So, any word from this John guy yet?"

"Still nothing. No news your end either, I take it?"

"No. I'll be going to the hospital to see Bern at around lunch time."

"OK. In the meantime, Millie can you go talk to Stevie and Terry before they head off to see Peter Ward?"

"Guv," Millie nodded and left the room.

"Is it all right if I drive Millie to Mrs. Ward's hospital? We've only got one car…" added Max.

"Good idea. And, um, if you leave a little early, that's OK," said Neil, before walking out of the room. He didn't think there was any such thing as conjugal leave in the police force, but these two sure as hell seemed to need some!

Max was pleased with the way everything seemed to falling into place.

**The Quick Trip Home**

Nearly two hours later, Max and Millie met at their car for the journey to the hospital. Both had very particular intentions for their time at home, but both were playing innocent.

"Don't forget I need to drop in and collect a few things from the house," reminded Millie.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Good thing you reminded me!" Max replied. He reached over and patted her thigh.

Millie gave him a sideways glance. She didn't believe for a second that he'd forgotten. Rather than admit to their individual plans, Max and Millie spent the rest of the journey discussing aspects of the case. As they drew closer to their home, both of them fell silent.

Millie opened the front door and entered her home for the first time in a few days. She knew it wouldn't take much for her to persuade her husband to follow her into their bedroom, but she nevertheless was trying to work out the best way of going about it. She needn't have bothered, because within seconds of his closing the front door, Max had sneaked up behind her and woven his arms around her. Then his mouth continued the work it has started earlier, and made its way around the back of her neck and shoulders.

"Mmm, alone at last," he said significantly between kisses.

Millie turned to face him and let her own lips reciprocate by landing kisses on his face and neck. "Just what are you getting at?" she asked.

"Ah, well, you know what I'd like to be getting at," unbuttoning her shirt so as to give his lips and hands more areas to explore.

"No, maybe you'd better tell me."

"How about if I just show you?" Max had by this stage undone Millie's shirt to her waist, and pulled it out from the confines of her trousers. Once this was done, he lifted Millie clean off the floor and carried her to their bedroom.

He dropped Millie onto the bed and fell onto it himself. Soon both of them had managed to strip the other bare. They lay together for a moment, just looking at each other and reveling in their reunion.

"I've missed you," whispered Max, bringing his lips in to meet hers.

"But Max," said Millie dizzily, clearing melting under the influence of his words and his caresses, "we held each other all last night! And it's only a few days since we…"

"You kidding me?" said Max. "If I had my way we would just live here in this bed, sleeping occasionally, maybe dining on lots of zinc rich foods, but mostly just satisfying my never-ending lust for you."

"How selfish are you?" asked Millie. Then she brought her mouth to his ear and whispered hotly, "What about my lust for you?"

"I'll take care of that for you right now," he replied, pulling Millie on top of him. This was his favourite way to have her. He loved being able to get a clear view of her expressions and the movement of her body as she ground away against him. He loved the way her face was so expressive, and watching it he felt somehow even closer to her than their physical proximity would allow. He loved the way her expressions changed; from the anticipation of the moment just before he was inside her to her almost astonished shudder when he actually was. Then there were the times when her eyes were closed and she would open her mouth as if to speak, or she would lick her lips as if to savour the experience. And then she would open her eyes and they would hold each other's gaze as they moved, feeling like they were dissolving into one. Their faces and bodies would come closer together and they would cling tightly to each other, as if they both feared the force of their climax would throw them apart...

After it was all finished and Millie had departed to take her second shower of the day, Max lay on the bed feeling and looking very smug. He reflected he had just accomplished so much. In the first place, he had banished all those aged, lazy sperm in preparation for tomorrow's test. Secondly, he had a very nice mental movie that he could be playing in his head tomorrow while he was taking the said test. And thirdly, he'd just had a really good fuck with the woman he loved. Mornings just didn't get any better than this!


	20. The Meeting

**John's Return**

John woke up feeling like crap. He knew he really shouldn't be spending whole nights out partying at his age, but the habits of a lifetime were hard to break. He looked around him and noticed that like on so many other nights, he'd fallen asleep in his car. Nothing around him looked especially familiar. Where was he?

He fumbled for the cigarette packet in his pocket. Empty. He opened the ashtray and searched until he found a cigarette butt that still had a bit of life in it. He straightened it out, brushed the ash off it and lit it. That was better, now he could think a bit more clearly. Didn't he have something to do today? Ah, that's right, today he was supposed to get his money. The recollection of this made him smile, until he remembered how he was getting the money back. The hostages. Fuck. He looked at his watch and saw it was after midday. He started up the engine and drove off, looking for some landmark to guide him.

Mrs. Kelly was surprised to wake to find that John was still not there. Surprised and a bit angry. Didn't he realise his hostages were a child and an old woman? Having gotten away with unlocking the door and fixing their meal last night had given her confidence in what she could get away with. She fished under the door and retrieved the key again.

Soon the sounds of breakfast being prepared were filling the kitchen. Once they had eaten, Mrs. Kelly got Emily dressed for the day. She gave Emily and herself a quick wash, as it had been too long, in her opinion, since either of them had had a proper clean.

By the time John arrived home, Mrs. Kelly and Emily were safely back in the room. It was moments like these that Mrs. Kelly was almost thankful Emily didn't speak. Because of this she didn't have to worry about Emily accidentally letting the cat out of the bag about their temporary freedom.

Mrs. Kelly heard the sound of someone moving in the house, and soon she heard John's voice, cursing as he searched the floor for the key. He was feeling too much the worse for wear to even bother asking Mrs. Kelly if she knew anything about the key. He opened the door without saying a word.

"You OK?" asked Mrs. Kelly, sensing his fragility and talking a little loudly to make him pay for his neglect.

"Actually, how about you cook me up some eggs and bacon? I think I could use something greasy."

"My pleasure," Mrs. Kelly walked over to the cupboard and fished out a frying pan. "Is there enough for me to give Emily some too?"

"Yeah, whatever."

Mrs. Kelly retrieved the other utensils necessary.

"Boy, you sure learn your way around a kitchen fast!" commented John after observing the speed at which she was getting things ready.

"Ah, well, cooked in one kitchen, you've cooked in them all," replied Mrs. Kelly, suddenly conscious that she could have given their secret escapes away by her cockiness.

"Hmm, yeah. Say, after brunch I need you to make another phone call to Bert and Emily's parents, all right?"

"Sure. You just tell me what you want me to say."

"Oh, I will. You think you can sound nice and desperate this time? Maybe we could get the girl to speak, or squawk or whatever it is she does too."

"That might be difficult..."

"Maybe we can let her hear her dad. That might get her going."

_So you're going to torture the poor child, you brute!_ Mrs Kelly muttered to herself. _As if she hasn't been through enough! _"Well, we'll see I guess. Runny or well done?"

"What?"

"Your eggs."

"Oh, leave them a bit runny thanks."

"Do you want me to cut your bread into soldiers?"

"Are you making fun of me?"

"No, I know many grown men who like their bread cut up like that." _Especially ones with issues_...

"Well, yes then, why not? It does make it easier to eat."

"That's right. Well, here you go," she said placing the plate before him on the table. "I'll just get Emily."

"Then I'll have coffee too thanks!"

"Yes, of course. Sorry." Doing this evil man's bidding was really starting to wear Mrs. Kelly down. _Think of the child,_ she kept repeating to herself.

Mrs. Kelly sat Emily down and Emily picked up the toast and chewed on it. Mrs. Kelly tried to encourage Emily to dip the toast in the egg, but this just seemed to frustrate her. She started to grizzle. John looked up from his breakfast and appeared slightly annoyed by this, so Mrs. Kelly left the child and got to work on John's coffee. She got herself one too, and sat down.

"Right then," said John with a glare. "Here's the plan. I make the calls and tell them when and where to meet us, then I put you on and you sound scared. Got that?"

"I'll do whatever you say. Are you going to let me know the details?"

John looked annoyed again. He pursed his mouth, then he just shrugged. "I thought Mill Meadows would be a nice familiar meeting point, for the Wards anyway. Happy memories for your Bert too," John sniggered.

Mrs. Kelly wasn't quite sure what he meant, so she didn't respond.

"Make me another cup, luv," John said with a smile that Mrs. Kelly didn't trust the sincerity of. "And I think undercover of darkness would be best, so let's say after eight o'clock tonight. What do you say Emily? Sleep in your own bed tonight?" At this John reached out a shook the little girl's knee, and laughed.

Emily scowled at him mistrustfully.

"Not very grateful, is she?" asked John, the smile vanishing from his face. He continued his hold of Emily's knee.

Mrs. Kelly gently removed his hand and said, "Remember she doesn't understand you." She decided it was best to stop him before he upset Emily, because experience had shown that Emily crying just got him angry. She handed John his coffee.

"Well then Emily," said John eyeing Mrs. Kelly reprovingly, "are you going to be a good girl if we let you outside?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea," agreed Mrs. Kelly enthusiastically. "Why don't I take her and you can sit here and relax?"

"If I didn't know that the yard was so well protected, I'd be very suspicious of your motivations there, Mrs. Kelly!" said John. "But sorry to disappoint you, I think I'll come too."

They all went outside and Mrs. Kelly kept a close eye on Emily, who seemed content to just totter around in circles, very much in her own little world. John's head was gradually clearing from its initial befuddlement, and he realised it was nearly two o'clock. Probably time he made those calls.

He pulled the phone out of his pocket and beckoned to Mrs. Kelly.

"You ready?" he asked.

She nodded.

"So Emily, let's call your daddy first," said John, scrowling down to Peter's number. He put the phone on speaker, and held it up for all to hear.

"Hello," said Peter.

"Say hello to your little girl, Mr. Ward," said John, his voice full of menace.

"Emily, are you there? Emily? It's Daddy!"

At the sound of her father's voice, Emily stopped spinning and started to look around hopefully. Mrs. Kelly felt as if her heart could break.

"Aw, very touching. So Pete, doing anything tonight?"

"No, I..."

"Now you are. It's time to get your little girl back, Pete, that is if you've got the money. You do have the money don't you?"

Peter looked at Stevie and Terry, who nodded in encouragement.

"Yes."

"Good. So at hmm, say 830 tonight, that's 2030hrs for you nerds, what say we meet at the place Emily went missing, the playground at Mill Meadows. Got that?"

Terry picked up his phone and left the room to fill Max in.

"Yes, I've got that."

"Gee, your daughter doesn't think much of you, does she? She's not even going to speak..."

As if to prove him wrong, Emily let out an excited squeal.

"Oh, I tell a lie! There she was, right on cue. Good girl Emily. We can start feeding you again..." John laughed.

"If you've hurt her..." Peter began.

"All will be revealed tonight, won't it. Til then!" John hung up with a flourish. He had a huge smile on his face. It wasn't every day you could get a weirdo like Peter Ward to react to anything. "Sorry old woman, it seems like you're superfluous!" he grinned.

**The Exchange**

Once the meeting places and times were arranged with John the team at Sun Hill were able to swing into action. Although this was an improvement on having to sit around waiting, everyone was still on tenterhooks. Foremost on their minds was John's reputed unpredictability and tendency to violence. There was so much potential for things to go wrong tonight, so everyone was trying their hardest to ensure they were prepared for all possibilities. Getting Emily and Mrs. Kelly safely home was their number one priority.

A team briefing was scheduled for 1700hrs, and as Max was the SIO his role in the whole process was central. He had spent the couple of hours or so since the phone calls talking things over with DI Manson, Millie, Terry and Stevie, and anyone else who had particular input about any aspect of the case. CO19 had to be organised as well, as from what Mrs. Kelly had indicated, John was armed.

Just before the briefing Max allowed himself five minutes to sit and have coffee to collect his thoughts. He knew Millie hadn't returned yet from giving Bern an outline of the latest developments, otherwise he would have invited her to join him. Instead he sat alone in the cafeteria, going through his presentation in his head, wishing Millie were with him for moral support. More than that, he wished Millie were there so he could keep an eye on how she was coping with everything. How would she cope if something happened to Emily? Max set his chin and thought to himself that instead of worrying he should just put him mind to making sure there was very little margin for error tonight.

Max's thoughts were disturbed by a blokey hand pat to his back and he turned to see Roger standing beside him. Max gestured for Roger to sit down. Roger could see that Max was deep in thought, and figured the detective sergeant was probably in need of a diversion. The two men had not seen eye to eye on many occasions in the past, but now that Roger knew that Max and Millie were married he was determined to bury the hatchet and give Max a chance.

Max couldn't really think of what to say to Roger. Roger, however had come up with the perfect topic for small talk.

"So," said Roger. "Doing anything special for Millie's birthday tomorrow?"

_God, that's right, it's tomorrow!_ The days had really begun to run into each other during this case. Then Max realised he hadn't even got a card or cake for her. He had nothing organised except...oh God, that test! Max wondered what Roger would say if he answered honestly and said; "Yes, I am doing something special. I'm looking at pornography and flogging off into a paper cup".

"I have a present for her," faltered Max guiltily.

Roger could see his attempt to divert Max was unsuccessful. "Look, I doubt she'd be thinking too much about her birthday anyway. She seems to have formed quite a bond with Mrs. Ward."

Max sighed, "Yeah I know."

Roger saw he'd just worried Max more. "You know Max, Millie is a sensible girl. And a very resilient one too."

"True. I would just prefer it if she never had to suffer."

"Well, I don't think you do anyone any favours by treating them with kid gloves. And anyway, I don't think Millie would let you treat her like that. Remember the Jade Hopkins case!"

"Damn fiery redhead!" muttered Max fondly.

"That's our girl all right!" Roger stood up and imparted another pat on Max's shoulder before heading to the door. "You coming to the briefing yet, Sarge?"

"See you there in a minute."

Max sat for a moment, then got up and returned his tray to the counter and headed towards the briefing room.

"So, I wonder what Max has in store for us?" asked Ben, who was sitting with the rest of the Uniform contingent.

"Probably the usual: posing as vagrants or joggers or something in the park," said Roger.

"I wonder if Max will be wearing his costume?" pondered Nate.

"Eh, what's this?" said Jo, who was sitting nearby and hadn't heard the story either.

"You didn't hear? The other night when the Wards got a brick through their window, Max was running around the house in harem pants," Nate felt he would never tire of this story.

"Claims he put them on by mistake in the dark," Leon explained.

"Shh, here's Millie!" hissed Mel.

Soon Max and the DI arrived as well, and the briefing started.

It was decided that Max and Millie would take care of Peter Ward until he was left to sit on the bench in the playground to wait for John to arrive.

"While Peter's waiting, you and Millie can sit near by, posing as a couple. You two should be good at that," said Neil drily. "Only don't 'pose' too much and forget to keep an eye on things!" he added quietly to Max.

Soon it was time for the preliminary work to be done, and for all the officers who were to be stationed at various points around the meeting place to assume their positions before John arrived.

John, Mrs. Kelly and Emily got into the car for their journey to Mill Meadows. Mrs. Kelly took it as a good sign that John also packed all of the things they had brought along for Emily. Surely this meant he was going to be true to his word and release her!

John pulled up at the edge of the park and told Mrs. Kelly to get Emily out of the car. Neil and Grace were positioned in the carpark and were the first to spot them.

"That's got to be them, surely?" said Grace.

"Well, it's a man with an older woman and a young girl. A bit dark to get a good look at their faces, but I'd say that looks like Emily, and she seems to be wearing a red coat. I'll let everyone know," said Neil.

On getting Neil's message, Max and Millie left Peter on his seat in the playground and went to sit nearby. They watched anxiously as Peter sat there. He was so obviously on edge that Max and Millie were getting worried he might blow the whole thing by not staying calm when John approached him.

John and his hostages made their way through the park's steadily darkening avenues. Mrs. Kelly was holding Emily's hand, but it was obvious to her that the child was getting restless. There was a reason for this and this was that she recognised where she was and was eager to get to the playground. Emily was trying to pull her hand free of Mrs. Kelly's, but the old woman kept a tight grip, worried about losing Emily in the darkness.

The footfall of a passerby snapped a twig, which made John jump, which in turn caused Mrs. Kelly to momentarily lose her cool. She let go of Emily's hand. Before she knew it, the child had scurried away under the cover of darkness into the woody undergrowth of the park.

"Emily! Stop!" Mrs. Kelly cried, starting to hurry after her.

Watching his hostages escape was making John very, very angry. He knew he had a much more effective way of stopping an escaping child than simply chasing her. He took out his gun and fired it in the direction of the departing child and woman.

Mrs. Kelly dropped to the ground in front of him.


	21. Millie's Birthday

Only one more chapter after this...

**Mill Meadows**

At the sound of gunfire DI Manson felt he had no choice but to direct everybody to move in. CO19 surrounded John and demanded that he drop his weapon. John panicked and held up his gun to fire off at the figures he could vaguely discern from behind the bright lights that were suddenly blinding him. Before he could fire one of the CO19 officers had pulled their trigger, getting John in the arm so he dropped his gun. He was quickly subdued and apprehended.

The nearest officers to Mrs. Kelly, who happened to be Jo and Roger, rushed over to aid her. It seemed that the bullet had simply grazed her leg and her collapsing was apparently due to shock more than anything. Terry and Stevie came over with Bert, who had been escorted to the park for his meeting with John. He was soon engulfed by Mrs. Kelly, who, despite everything, welcomed him with open arms and forgiveness.

Neil and Grace arrived, closely followed by Max, Millie and Peter.

"Where's my daughter?" Peter demanded. "I can't return to Bern without her!"

"I'm so sorry! I tried to hold onto her but she ran off into the bushes," sobbed Mrs. Kelly.

"Right," said Neil, "We need to search the bushes and see if we can find her! Max, Millie, you head in the direction of the playground. Jo, can you get your people searching the immediate area around us here."

Max protectively took Millie's hand as they made their way through the bushes.

"Emily!" said Millie, taking care not to yell or sound threatening. "Damn it, I left my torch in my bag!"

"I suppose she's probably hiding. Maybe we should crawl rather than walk, in case we stomp on her."

"OK. Um, Max, can you let go of my hand..."

"Sorry. Make sure you put on your gloves."

Max and Millie crept slowly through the dark undergrowth, exploring all the places a young child could seek refuge. After a little while the crouching started to play havoc with Max's knees and he stood up to stretch. As he considered where to search next, he felt a hand grabbing onto his thigh. For a second he thought it was Millie, but then he realised the hand on this thigh belonged to a child.

"Emily?" he said softly.

He stooped and reached out in front of him to feel a pair of frightened little arms encircling his neck. He put his own arms around the small, shaking creature and she clung to him even tighter. He stood up holding her and she nuzzled her face into his chest and Max felt the warmth of her breath and dampness of her face from her tears as she snuggled into him. The protective response this all evoked in him was a complete surprise. It hit him like an almost religious awakening.

To his nephews and nieces, Max was the kind of uncle with whom you played rough and tumble games or threw a ball. The feeling of having a little creature like this turning to him for comfort and protection was something he had never before experienced. Of course he imagined he and Millie would have a family one day, but he had never really understood the extremity of emotions that Millie seemed to go through each time they tried and failed. But right there in the darkness, feeling Emily's dependence on him and the comfort he was able to provide to her, it all made sense. Soon Emily would be back with her father and mother and she wouldn't need him like this any more. As this realisation struck him, he felt a completely unfamiliar sense of emptiness. He realised for the first time how much he wanted to have one of these little beings as permanent feature of his own life, to watch over and share with Millie. He hugged Emily close to him and patted the head that rested against his shoulder, as Emily so trustingly placed her very life into his hands.

He heard someone nearby. "Max?" said Millie.

"I have her," he replied quietly. "I have Emily."

Millie made her way over and reached out to take the child from him. To her surprise (and Max's secret delight) Emily reached out her arm and pushed Millie's chest as if to make it known she wanted to stay with Max. Millie was a bit hurt at first, but then she became aware of the tenderness with which Max was holding Emily and knew that he'd had a revelation. Rather than attempt to remove Emily again, she put her arm around her husband and they walked out of the bushes together.

While Millie had been no substitute for Max to Emily, her own father certainly was. On seeing him she let go of Max's neck and reached out her arms to Peter. Not without some degree of sorrow, Max surrendered Emily to her father with a kiss. Without thinking, he wrapped his noticeably empty arms around his wife, and clung to her. She was on the verge of tears as she hugged him fiercely back.

"You OK?" Millie whispered as she kissed him.

Max was too overcome to speak. He nodded and kissed her back. Once he had regained the power of speech he said quietly to his wife, "I want one of those."

Millie smiled to herself and squeezed him again, "A child?" she asked.

"A daughter," he replied very definitely.

Millie laughed, "You better have a word to your sperm about that one," she said.

**The Next Day**

Max woke on the morning of Millie's birthday and rolled over to look at his still sleeping wife. There were certain times when he looked at her that he felt a sense of complete awe at the beauty of her. This was one of these occasions. She lay on her back with her auburn hair spread around her almost like a fiery halo. Her pink lips formed a serene, half smile. A hand was curled casually beside her cheek, which was flushed, probably because it had been a warm night. Her body was hidden only by a thin cover of sheet, and the way it was draped over the curve of her hips and breasts reminded him of a classical statue. _She's all woman just as she is, _he thought to himself. But then he considered the additional dimensions that could be added to her beauty by the glow of motherhood. He thought about his epiphany at the park last night, and was filled with procreatory yearnings.

_OK boys, this is the month, _he said addressing his formerly apathetic sperm. _We're on a mission._

Millie gently started to wake, and Max decided he would encourage this. What better way to welcome your wife to the dawn of her birthday than with kisses? The half smile that had adorned Millie's mouth deepened into a look of delight.

"Morning husband," she said, rubbing her cheek against his like a cat.

"Good morning, Birthday wife," said Max. "Do you want your present now?"

"Are we about to have sex?" asked Millie breathlessly, making it very clear this was what she wanted by slinging a leg over Max's hip and pulling him close to her.

"We sure are now," he replied, his own lust multiplied by the blatantness of her desire for him. "But, I was actually going to give you a gift..."

"Is that a euphemism?" Millie asked.

"In this case, no. I went out and bought you a little something. Do you think you can unwrap it while I'm ravaging you?"

Millie considered this a moment. "Is it so good that I'll want to be unwrapping it as I'm coming?"

"No doubt it will help you get there," her husband replied. "Anyway, there's no problem with you coming more than once, is there?"

"OK, you better give it to me then - the present I mean!"

Max reached into his drawer and pulled out the carefully wrapped box.

"Happy Birthday, my darling," he said with a kiss.

Millie snatched the present off him and proceeded to unwrap it. Max noted with glee that this meant that both her hands were completely occupied, so that she was defenceless against anything he decided to do to her. He disappeared under the sheets.

After facial expressions that varied from frustration at being unable to undo the ribbon, excitement at the realisation the box contained jewellery and swooning pleasure at Max's various undercover ministrations, Millie eventually beheld her new bracelet.

"Oh Max! Oh my God!" she exclaimed.

Max popped his head out from under the sheet. "Are you telling me you like the present, or that I've found a new way to bring you instantly to orgasm?"

"You're a demon in the sack, obviously," said Millie, who was holding her arm out above her so she could admire the bracelet that now adorned it. "But come out from there. I think you've earned your reward."

"What, you don't think I'm having fun down here?" Despite his protests, however, Max was soon lying alongside his wife.

"I'm sure you are, but I want this to be a real, mutual expression of love, not just about individual pleasure. I want eye contact," said Millie, holding Max's face in both her hands and bringing his lips to hers.

"Women!" said Max between kisses. "You're all such romantics!" In the midst of this deliberately provocative generalisation, Max suddenly remembered a rather unromantic appointment he had that very morning. The thought made him pause long enough for Millie to notice.

"What's the problem?" she said with a degree of frustration.

"Oh nothing, I just remembered something I have to do this morning?"

"What?"

"Nothing important."

"You're keeping secrets from me?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Oh no, you have to tell me now! Does it involve another woman?"

Millie said this as a joke of course, but Max's mental response was "Yes, a naked one in a magazine."

"Why are you silent? What's going on?"

Max could see there was no way he could get out of giving her an answer. "Look, if you must know, I made an appointment to see Dr. Scott today to have that test, OK?"

This was a surprise to Millie, and she was also kind of touched. "Oh darling, that's so, I don't know, supportive of you! I am so grateful."

Max felt his face being covered by multiple kisses. But then Millie's mind started working on the ramifications of this revelation.

"Wait a minute. I suppose you should have this test with a 'full tank'," she said.

"Probably," sighed Max.

"And then there are all those icky magazines and everything."

"I suppose so. But that could be a myth as a far as I know."

Millie thought for a moment. "Ring up and cancel," she said finally.

"What?"

"Ring up and cancel. Firstly, I don't think you should be having lustful thoughts about other women on my birthday. Secondly, I need you here. And thirdly, I'm about to drain you dry."

"Hmm, some very persuasive arguments there. What choice do I have really?"

"Good boy. Now, let's get to it."

"Do you want to do something adventurous for your birthday?"

"Hey, as long as I can see my new bracelet, you can just hop on top and hump away for all I care!"

"You know, now it almost feels like it's my birthday..." said Max, pouncing on her.


	22. Epilogue Part 1

I decided that what was originally the final chapter worked best when its two sections were two separate chapters. This is the first...

**About Two and a Half Weeks Later…**

Max came home after a long and annoying day at work conscious of the fact that instead of being able to relax at home with his wife, he would only have time to shower and get changed before he and Millie had to go out again. He walked into the kitchen expecting to see her, but she wasn't there. Perhaps she was in the bedroom? He made his way down to the room and on the way heard the hiss of the shower. So that was where Millie was. He knew she was looking forward to their dinner with Bern and Peter tonight, but he could think of a hundred and one things he'd rather do.

The one good thing about their outing was that he'd get to see Emily and give her the birthday present he had chosen for her. Millie's ecstatic reaction to her present had given Max the idea that he should be chief gift buyer in the family. Millie had tried to keep her amusement hidden when Max had taken charge of buying Emily's present, but it was clear anyway that Max and Emily regarded each other as special favourites. Emily's noticeable preference for Max still upset Millie a bit, but the extra time it gave her to talk to Bern when they visited was some consolation.

Max entered the bedroom and walked over to the wardrobe. He noticed something on Millie's dressing table that filled him with dread. It was an open and most probably used pregnancy test. This was not good. Her period wasn't even due yet! And she had promised him and herself that she wouldn't do a test until her period was at least a week late. Poor Millie! She was probably even now sobbing under the steaming waters of the shower in disappointment and frustration.

Max took off his shirt and took a casual one from the wardrobe. While he was putting it on, his wife entered the room, wrapped in a towel. She went up to him and kissed him. She turned to get dressed, but he grabbed her hand to stop her walking away.

"Millie," he said. "I noticed the test on the dresser. You know you were determined not to take any tests until your period was late!"

Millie looked at him repentantly. "I know, but you know how I've been feeling a bit funny. I just wanted to check…"

"Darling," said Max, putting both hands on her upper arms and looking beseechingly into her eyes, "why torture yourself?"

"Darling," responded Millie, putting her hands over his to free herself from his grasp, "did you actually look at the test?"

"Well no…"

Millie collected the test and showed it to him. "Look."

Max looked at the test, then at Millie. "What does it mean when there are two lines?"

Millie's face broke out into a smile and she started to jump up and down, "It means it's positive!" she said flinging her arms around his neck.

Max put his arms around her waist to still her, "Millie, are you sure? I don't want you to get your hopes up until we're certain."

Millie once again freed herself and came back carrying the waste paper basket. She emptied its contents on the floor.

"Well then, what about this positive test, and this one, and this one, and…"

This time it was Max's face that broke out into a smile. "So we're sure then?"

"Tests rarely give a false positive. But I've made an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow just in case."

Max put his arms around Millie and danced her around the room. "I'm going to have a daughter! I'm going to have a daughter," he chanted.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute! It might be a boy!"

Max stopped and looked at her. Then he grabbed her face and held it while he covered it with kisses. Then he resumed his chant, "I'm going to have a daughter…"

Millie shook her head. "OK Papa, calm down now. We'd better get ready for our dinner with Bern and Peter, and Mrs. Kelly apparently."

"A baby on the way, and sausages for tea! What could be better!" said Max making a face.

"Now don't be mean, you know Bern has to cook what Pete likes!"

"Sorry. Hey, are you sure you're up to going out tonight? Shouldn't you be resting?"

Millie sat herself down on the bed. "Well I am a bit tired. Perhaps you could bring me my shoes…"

"Sure. Anything else?"

"Underwear I guess. And that new dress of mine, no not that one, the floral one! Thanks darling." She kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "Say, I am a bit thirsty…"

"I'll be back in a minute," said Max heading out the door.

Millie lay back on the bed with her hands behind her head and grinned. She could see she was going to have a lot of fun over the next nine months!


	23. Epilogue Part 2

And here's Part 2. Thanks for reading, especially my most faithful reviewers, MissLala & Firebird.

**About Nine Months Later...**

"Come on darling, don't you think you're laying it on a bit thick" said Max. Perhaps it was an unwise move, but to give him credit, he just wanted to help Millie see the funny side of it. "It can't be that bad! After all, giving birth is a completely natural process!"

Millie was reclined on the bed in the labour ward, attempting to breathe her way through the excruciating pain. She paused, still panting and looked at her husband.

Max felt like he was beholding the face of the devil him(her)self…

"*&%#$%(!&^}%#$!!#$%?{&%#$!!!!" said Millie.

Max was stunned. He knew his wife was very good at talking dirty, but he had no idea she could swear like that!

Another voice piped in, "Don't worry darling. Next time I will teach you how to swear in Polish. Much more effective. Words you can really spit out, you know…"

"MAX!" yelled Millie furiously. "WHAT'S SHE DOING HERE?"

"Ma, how did you get in here?"

"What? I just followed the sound of Millie's screaming and walked in! It wasn't so hard!"

"Ma, you know Millie and I want this moment to be just us…"

"Oh fine, so first you get married without telling me, now you sneak off to have the baby…"

"We didn't sneak off!"

"Well OK, you told Millie's parents! I had to hear it second hand!"

"They are staying with us! It was hard for them not to notice what was happening once Millie's pains started!"

"GET. HER. OUT. AHHHHHHH!" Millie's words were followed with another contraction.

"I think you'd better leave now, Ma. Here," Max delivered his mother into the hands of a rather stern looking midwife. Looking at her, Mrs. Carter knew she wouldn't get a chance to sneak through again.

"All right, all right. I love you Millie, and I forgive you for swearing at me. Goodbye son." Mrs. Carter gave Max a quick kiss and left.

Max returned to his wife's side and put his arms around her shoulders. "Now then, darling, remember what you learnt. Breathe. Breathe."

Millie puffed obligingly. She had pictured this scene so many times, but when she had she had always been so calm and relaxed. Now here she was, feeling on the verge of hysteria. She had never imagined the pain could be like this! She had been determined to have a natural birth, or at least only use the gas if necessary. But now she found the gas just made her feel sick. She had tried everything to get comfortable. She had stood up, walked around, lay down, sat on the Fit ball – nothing was making the pain go away. The midwife explained that the baby was facing the wrong way, so each time a contraction came, its head was hitting the base of her spine.

It seemed like this had been going on for hours.

Max was trying to stay calm for her, but it wasn't easy. It was tearing him apart to see her in such pain and to be unable to make it right for her. He was rapidly running out of tricks. The special cd of soothing songs they had made for her labour quickly got on her nerves and only just escaped being snapped in half by Max's snatching it from her. He had taken her to sit in the shower, but she couldn't stay still, and all it had achieved was getting his clothes all wet so that he had to sit and shiver in the air conditioned labour suite until he was able to dry off and get changed. Now he was standing in front of Millie while she sat on the bed, holding her in his arms, her enormous belly pressed against him, as he rubbed her back to try and ease her pain. She held on to him, sobbing quietly in his arms.

Then a contraction came and he felt her teeth sinking sharply into his shoulder. He suspected that she had actually drawn blood.

"Did that hurt?" she asked, blinking at him through her tears.

"Yes," he replied.

"Well, that's nothing compared to what I'm going through!" she said quietly. Apparently she had bitten him simply for his information. Max just nodded and resumed patting her back.

Dr. Scott and the midwife entered the room.

"Now, how are we doing Millie? Still coping?"

She looked over Millie's head to Max, who shook his head.

"Only just," said Millie.

"OK. Max, can you swing Millie around so she's lying down. I just want to check how dilated you are, Millie. This is going to be a bit uncomfortable."

Millie winced as the doctor felt around inside her. She turned to her husband and whispered. "Max, I think I want the epidural."

Max looked into her eyes and nodded. He knew how hard that was for her to say. She had been so determined to have a drug-free birth. But after a few hours of this, even her resolve was wearing thin.

"Good idea," he whispered back.

"Did I hear the word 'epidural'?" asked Dr. Scott. "Just in the nick of time I think. We couldn't leave it too much longer. Looks like the baby's turned now, and everything set to progress. I think we're going to be able to get away with not resorting to a caesar, but we have everything ready just in case. Now, I'll see if I can get the anaesthetist here in time."

The anaesthetist arrived and the epidural was inserted into her back. Millie's mood became much calmer. She felt her contractions, but they didn't seem to matter as much. And in between them she was able to be almost relaxed.

Things started to pick up quite rapidly after that. Max and the midwife encouraged her to push, each holding onto a leg to help her. Dr. Scott got in position to deliver the baby…

######################

"I can't do this any more!" sighed an exhausted Millie.

"It won't be too much longer now darling. I know you're tired but…"

"Look Max, you've got the daughter you wanted! I just don't have the strength to deliver your son! I think I'm going to leave."

Millie turned in the bed but was prevented by the effects of the epidural from doing much more than that. Then another contraction came.

"Millie, we know it's exhausting giving birth to twins. But you're so nearly there! Push for me…" Dr. Scott nodded at Max to encourage her on.

"One, two, three, PUSH!" said Max.

"OOUUUUFFFFFF" said Millie.

"That's it. Soon you'll have both your babies in your arms. Won't that be wonderful?" Max moved the arms that held their daughter in front of Millie so she could see her properly. Max was already besotted by her. Millie could see the look of pride in his eyes.

Millie gritted her teeth. She gave another almighty push. Then another.

"Well done, that's his head. Now for the rest of him."

The sound of the first cries of the second baby filled the room. The nurses patted him down, swaddled him and laid him on Millie's breast.

The baby soon made its way onto her nipple.

"That's my boy!" said Max proudly. "Knows his way around already!"

He laid their daughter on Millie's other breast and put his arms around his wife. Their eyes met and for a moment they were both speechless.

"Instant family!" said Max eventually, kissing his wife. "Good work, Mummy."

Millie kissed him back, then stroked the heads of her two babies. A look of realisation crossed her face.

"Yay!" Millie said with as much enthusiasm as she had the strength for. "Neither of them has red hair!"

Max looked disappointed. "Oh, well, it would have been nice to have a mini-Millie. But look at them. They're both gorgeous!"

A nurse approached them. "Excuse me, Mr. Carter. Can you do something about your mother? She's giving all our staff a really hard time!"

"Oh, let her in!" said Millie, who by this stage just didn't care that she was sitting with her breasts hanging out, her legs in stirrups and the doctor busily stitching her up.

Max walked out to the waiting room and saw not just his mother, but all the grandparents there. The grandmothers both embraced him, and his father slid a cigar into his shirt pocket. Mr. Brown, who had tears in his eyes, took Max's hand in both of his and shook it heartily.

"Maybe it should just be the grandmas coming in for the moment," said Max, who figured there were certain parts of Millie that he should be the only man to see. "And it probably shouldn't be for too long."

Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Carter came in and made a fuss of their grandchildren and of Millie. They soon departed, with Mrs. Carter promising to return in an hour or so with some dinner for them both. After all, if Millie were going to nourish those babies properly, she needed more than just that hospital food!

Max returned to his position sitting on the bed as the nurses took the babies to give them a proper clean and weighing. An exhausted Millie rested against her husband's chest, grabbed his hand and kissed it.

"You worn out?" Max asked.

"Uh hu. I dare say you are too?"

"Tired, bruised, bleeding, slightly hurt by your abuse. And the worst part is, we are never ever going to get a chance to catch up on sleep again!"

"I know. But that's your fault for not warning me that twins run in your family."

"I'm a man. How am I supposed to have noticed that?"

"You're a detective, aren't you? Isn't observation your thing?"

"OK, maybe I missed the signs, but I'm sure of one thing."

"What?"

"You're going to hit me at the end of my next question."

"What is it?"

Max rested his forehead against hers. Then he gave her his cheekiest grin and he said, "When can we start working on the next one?"


End file.
